Cabin heating is free in an ICE because it uses waste heat. There's little incentive to have a thermally efficient space in a conventional vehicle, but it becomes more important in an EV, since heating is not accomplished with waste heat. I could see insulation becoming more important in an EV both for heating efficiency and for isolating road noise, which is more pronounced when it isn't somewhat masked by engine noise. Also, the extra weight penalty of insulation in an EV does little to affect overall range or efficiency since much of the energy spent to accelerate the weight is regenerated when slowing down.
|