A friend is looking at buying an Octavia iV and asked me whether the heater works when on e-power, as some vehicles he is considering need the IC engine to be running. Our aircon heats and cools when on e-power alone, but does anyone know whether there is a water/air heat exchanger when the IC engine is running to boost the heat?

Is he getting a PHEV? PHEV's heat/cool without the ICE running. So pure EV driving does not need ICE running.

 

petrol/diesel engines have belt driven AC.

The iV is a PHEV and ours heats and cools when on electric power alone, as I said. My question was whether there was additional heat input when the IC is running.