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Tesla Model Y Heat Pump Detailed, Some Owners Say It’s “Too Noisy”

Sandy Munro continues the Model Y teardown, and this time around, the heat pump enters the scene. Why is it such an important piece of hardware, you ask?
Tesla Model Y heat pump 11 photos
Photo: Sandy Munro on YouTube
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First and foremost, let’s dig deeper into the car that paved the way for the Model Y. Tesla developed the Model 3 with something called eAC, an electric air conditioning compressor that cools the electric sedan’s cabin on hot summer days.

Protected by a black plastic case that features foam to reduce unwanted noises, vibrations, and harshness, the Model 3 eAC also cools the glycol loop with the help of a four-way valve and a heat exchanger. Pretty much the same system can be found in the S and X as well, and the reason that Tesla went with the eAC instead of a heat pump like Nissan's Leaf or Volkswagen's e-Golf is… wait for it… cost-cutting.

Moving back to the Model Y, the heat pump isn’t protected by any sort of container. The kicker, however, is that “this heat pump is going to shake” a lot more than the air compressor of the Model 3. This may be the reason why some owners are reporting “too noisy” operation, but all in all, the heat pump is superior hardware.

A compressor is integrated into the body of the heat pump, and its role is to liquefy the refrigerant in the system. Even though the heat pump doesn’t make a big difference in terms of driving range over the air compressor, it’s worth highlighting that it’s the better choice in cool and cold weather. With proper thermal management in these scenarios, the heat pump is superior to a resistance heater and an electric air conditioning compressor working in tandem.

Looking at the bigger picture, it appears that Tesla finally understood that the Model Y won’t be driven only in California where the weather is nice pretty much 365 days a year. The heat pump – and one larger radiator instead of a few smaller ones – seems perfect for the thermal management of the Model Y and upcoming Teslas.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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