Do all Toyota hybrids use the same climate control?

[blearyeyedboy]

I have a bit of a niche question: does the climate control system in the Prius work the same as in other Toyota hybrids? Or indeed, non-Toyota hybrids?

I'm interested in the climate control working off the battery and only intermittently firing up the petrol engine for heating/cooling like this:

https://youtu.be/g-aBSsM4V_s

I have a hare-brained idea of using an MPV shaped vehicle as a mobile office. However, having tried to use a car as an office in -3 degrees C wasn't fun (and I'm sure 30 degrees C or more wouldn't be either) and sitting idling for ages isn't great without burning shedloads of money. I don't fancy adding extra heaters to a vehicle if it can be avoided.

So I have an idea that if a Toyota Voxy or Nissan Serena hybrid- or other vehicles if anyone has bright ideas- has climate control that works in the same way then it could make a weird idea viable.

The aim is to turn working-from-home days to a drive to somewhere scenic and quiet where I can park up and work with mobile WiFi, a large portable battery for a laptop, a camping loo and a cooler full of drinks/food etc. The less I need to modify a vehicle, the better.

Thanks for any help, and for tolerating my eccentricities.

(Edited for fat fingers.)

Edited by blearyeyedboy on Tuesday 19th July 15:50

[P675]

The battery won't last that long, the engine will be firing up to charge it quite a bit.

[blearyeyedboy]

P675 said:

The battery won't last that long, the engine will be firing up to charge it quite a bit.

Thanks for replying. I'd pretty much given up on anyone answering!

I realise the ICE will need to fire up briefly at intervals. My question is whether it works in the same way as the Prius?

(A little petrol burned on and off might be more efficient than a separate heater/air con or leaving an ICE idling, if that makes sense?)

[RUSTILLDOWN]

Great question tbh!

I hate the idea of EVs but love the idea of a HYBRID that always uses battery power unless I’m sports mode or it needs recharging (idle trickle).

[oilslick]

My Corolla behaves in the same way. As I understand it, it uses an electric compressor rather than a mechanical, belt-driven one so just runs off the electrical system.

The engine cuts in a lot when you're sitting with the A/C on, not sure how economical it would be.

[blearyeyedboy]

oilslick said:

My Corolla behaves in the same way. As I understand it, it uses an electric compressor rather than a mechanical, belt-driven one so just runs off the electrical system.

The engine cuts in a lot when you're sitting with the A/C on, not sure how economical it would be.

Hmm. That might just shoot the idea dead. It's only viable if it's light on fuel.