Vehicle cabin heating system using waste heat supplemented heat pump with supplemental heater

A method of operating a vehicle cabin heating system of battery electric vehicle, the method comprising:

• monitoring, by an electronic control unit of the battery electric vehicle, a temperature at a temperature sensor, the temperature sensor being positioned within a vehicle cabin heating system;
• based on the temperature being below a threshold temperature, activating a supplemental heater;
• and
• based on the temperature exceeding the threshold temperature, deactivating the supplemental heater and providing vehicle cabin heat via one or both of a vehicle cabin heater core and a heat pump heater.

A vehicle cabin heating system comprising:

• a vehicle cabin heater core fluidically connected to a coolant system of a vehicle;
• a refrigerant circulation system;
• a heat exchanger fluidically connected to the coolant system and the refrigerant circulation system to transfer heat from the coolant to refrigerant within the refrigerant circulation system;
• a heat pump heater fluidically connected to the heat exchanger via the refrigerant circulation system;
• a supplemental heater;
• and
• an electronic control unit configured to perform:
• monitoring a temperature of at least one of the coolant or air output from the heat pump heater;
• based on the temperature being below a threshold, activating the supplemental heater;
• and
• based on the temperature exceeding the threshold, deactivating the supplemental heater and providing vehicle cabin heat via one or both of the vehicle cabin heater core and the heat pump heater.