[Guest]

Is a block heater necessary given the HEV design?

And also does the car interior warm up as fast as a traditional vehicle given that with an HEV the gas engine is not running as much?

This is a question from north of 40 where its often minus 40 in the winter

 

[Tideland Prius]

Hmm.. well the car does have a thermos where it stores three litres of hot coolant when you stop the vehicle. This is kept hot overnight and warm for up to three days. This is injected into the pipe lines when the engine starts

 

[mrv]

The engine will run more often in colder weather (compared to a mild climate or summer) just to warm itself or the passenger cabin.

In Canada, there is a block heater accessory available if you are interested, but it only keeps the oil warm (and you have to plug it into a wall electrical outlet). You can order it from some Canadian dealers online if you're not in Canada and want one.