Electric vehicle heat exchanger deicing system

A thermal system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a refrigerant loop operable between a cooling mode and a heat pump mode;
• a compressor configured to circulate a refrigerant through the refrigerant loop;
• a heat exchanger disposed on the refrigerant loop and configured to operate as a condenser when operating in the cooling mode and operate as an evaporator when operating in the heat pump mode;
• and
• a thermal control system including a controller having one or more processors, the controller being in signal communication with one or more sensors of the vehicle, the controller programmed to:
• perform, based on input from the one or more sensors, a screening test to determine if an icing risk exists for the heat exchanger while operating in the heat pump mode;
• estimate, in response to the screening test indicating an icing risk, a windshield wetness and a pavement wetness based on input from the one or more sensors;
• estimate an incremental ice formation on the heat exchanger based on the estimated windshield wetness and pavement wetness;
• and
• initiate a deicing operation of the heat exchanger when the incremental ice formation exceeds a predetermined threshold.