To overcome the restrictions on electric vehicles ranges on winter
term conditions, due to the heating demand of the interior, the use of a Thermal
High Performance Storage with metallic Phase Change Materials is one possible solution. A new storage concept, using a so called Heat Transport System,
enabling the heat transfer from the storage to a vehicles cooling fluid by evaporation and condensation of a working fluid within a closed circle, is introduced
in this study. The influence of the storage on an electric vehicles range is exemplary shown for DLR´s Urban Modular Vehicle Concept for a motorway cycle
by theoretical investigations. An increase of range by 36,3 km resp. 18,4 % for
an ambient temperature of -10 °C and 46 km resp. 26,7 % for an ambient temperature of -20 °C could be reached. The energy densities of the designed storages reach values of more than 220 Wh/kg resp. more than 310 Wh/l. The cost
estimations for those storage systems are approx. 445 € resp. 660 €. A comparison between the thermal energy storage and a conventional heating system consisting out of a PTC-Heater and a battery show, that the conventional heating
system has a mass which is about two thirds higher, a volume which is more
than one third higher and a quadrupled price compared to the thermal energy
storage