Heated wipers question with no heat pump

[Trandall]

Not really a hard problem to wrap one's head around. Nobody materially cared about the energy efficiency of an ICE vehicle's heating system in the context of widely available fueling stations and the capture of heat off of the engine. We started actually caring when EV range became a limiting factor while using a literal toaster oven to heat the cabin.

Fair point. That is why I mentioned the 1st 10 years of EV existence as well, but I get your point.
Not to pick on the OP specifically but the original post mentioned the heat pump for deicing windows when if anything the "toaster elements" would provide better performance. My point is a bigger concern would be how does a model X with heat pump effectively deice your windshield? We have been defrosting our rear windshield with heating elements in ice cars for many decades why are we now questioning if it can be done?

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[boxedlunch]

Fair point. That is why I mentioned the 1st 10 years of EV existence as well, but I get your point.
Not to pick on the OP specifically but the original post mentioned the heat pump for deicing windows when if anything the "toaster elements" would provide better performance. My point is a bigger concern would be how does a model X with heat pump effectively deice your windshield? We have been defrosting our rear windshield with heating elements in ice cars for many decades why are we now questioning if it can be done?

On this, I agree that Rivian could've done better...especially in regards to reports of headlight and wiper issues in winter conditions. It's not as if heating elements were suddenly discovered last week.

As a potential software workaround: would love if there was a quick shortcut or wiper "snow bang" mode that parks the driver's wiper into a vertical position so folks can access/whack the heck out of em while parked (or in some cases driving).

 

[RabidRat]

I'd say this is a luxury feature.

[…]

A few cars might have some luxury heated wiper thing, but otherwise we just deal with it.

My father’s 2016 Toyota RAV4 XLE came with a heater element for wiper de-icing. It’s not even the Limited trim.

 

[RabidRat]

There’s what looks like heater elements under my R1T’s windshield wipers: amber lines where they sit on the windshield glass.

Edit: ok, looks like we do have wiper de-icers, and they come on with the Front Defrost

Edit 2: had previously said Rear Defrost (which also turns on heated side mirrors), but that wasn’t correct so I’ve fixed the text. Someone on Reddit in the below thread actually used a FLIR thermal camera to confirm it’s actually on with the Front Defrost.



Would’ve been nice if the owners manual would mention this lol.

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