A portable car heater can add a measure of convenience and safety to winter driving, whether to supplement your vehicle’s climate control system or if you’re rugged enough to be fond of winter camping and tailgating. For electric vehicle owners, a portable heater can help conserve battery energy for increased cruising range. In the event of a vehicle breakdown or incident in a remote location, a portable heater can even be a lifesaver.
Options range from compact units that fit in a cup holder and run off a standard 12 volt outlet, to heated seat covers, to larger units the size of a briefcase or small suitcase that put out tons of heat and run on diesel fuel. Regardless of type, the best ones are easy to use and install, and are completely safe to use when properly installed and operated.
We’ve scoured the internet looking at dozens of available options, and selected some of the best units in different styles. So whether you’re planning a trip to the big game, the Yukon Territory, or just looking for something to help clear the windshield on a cold morning, one of these should be right for you.
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If you are not concerned with staying warm in the car then you can just blow the outside cold dry air on the interior windscreen with the defrost position of air flow. This works well even on cold days but the problem of course is that you get cold. If it's raining or very humid outside then this is more problematic. You need some warm air to remove the moisture in the car or you can run the A/C which takes a lot less power then the heater to assist in the defrost.
I think the 12 Volt heater can be used as a hand warmer or to a lesser extent a foot warmer but that's about it. Energy drain bang for your buck, You are better off with heated boots /gloves/vest and bringing in outside air to clear the windows. The more resistant you body is to cold the better you will do in an EV in the winter if you need the range.
Fogging is a real variable issue it depends on the number of people in the car, the temp, the sun, and the humidity, A 12 volt heater with a strong fan will help but it will depend on all these things. For sure at one point you will need to bring some outside air into the car to clear the windows.
There are also threads on this forum about chemically treating the inside of the windows with anti fog products to help get rid of fogging.
Best answer is the fuel heater but it's a learning experience try a few things to see what works for you.
Don.....