Electric vehicle fluid preheater

An electric vehicle powertrain comprising:

• a battery configured to couple with an external power source;
• a power plant including at least one three-phase electric motor, the electric motor including a stator having a plurality of electrical windings and a rotor having a magnetic field orientation, the rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator;
• a power controller configured to receive electrical energy from the battery and to provide electrical energy to the at least one electric motor in a controlled manner;
• wherein the power controller is configured to determine the position of the rotor relative to the stator, to determine a DC current for each of the three motor phases such that the electromagnetic field of the stator mirrors the magnetic field orientation of the rotor;
• and to provide the determined DC currents to the electric motor;
• wherein the electric vehicle powertrain further comprising a fluid circuit in communication with the electric motor, the fluid circuit including a fluid pump configured to circulate a fluid within the fluid circuit, and wherein the power controller is configured to provide electrical energy to the fluid pump;
• and
• wherein the respective DC currents provided to the electric motor are configured to resistively heat the fluid within the fluid circuit.