Heat pump
A cabin heating system that draws heat from outside air instead of generating it from electricity alone, which can reduce winter range loss in electric cars.
A gas car heats its cabin with otherwise wasted engine heat. An electric car has no such furnace, so heating draws on the battery. Fueleconomy.gov says about two-thirds of the extra energy an EV uses in cold weather goes to heating the cabin.
A simple resistive heater turns electricity directly into heat. A heat pump instead draws in heat from the outside air to warm the cabin, which the US Department of Energy says is much more efficient than an electric resistance heater in most conditions.
A DOE Vehicle Technologies Office record reports that in one test comparison at 20°F, the car using a heat pump cut total heating and cooling power draw by 38%. The same record says heat pumps become less effective in extreme cold, around 0°F, where a car may rely mostly on a resistance heater; some EVs carry both.
Fitment can differ by trim, so check the spec sheet. The Department of Energy suggests considering a heat pump if one is offered at purchase, which matters most in cold climates.