European market leader with successful launch in North America

No-idle charging and heating system available through dealerships across Canada

European market leader in electrical preheating, DEFA, has secured agreements with all major OEMs, and launched their line of no-idle charging and heating systems in North America. Due to strong relationships with the car importers and manufacturers in Europe, the same distribution channels are secured in Canada.

The interior heater and battery charger contribute to less harmful emissions and less fuel consumption’ says Ståle Kvitle, Vice President of Auto Industry in the DEFA Group

‘We have taken all our expertise and experience from decades of success in Europe into valuable partnerships in North America. We are very pleased to see how well the WarmUp system is established with partners and consumers in Canada, says Ståle Kvitle, Vice President of Auto Industry in the DEFA Group. ‘WarmUp offers a complete heating and charging solution with no idling, and with the increasing fuel costs these days, it is a great benefit that the system contributes to reducing fuel consumption and harmful emissions.’

Research conducted in the US and Europe, concludes that a preheated vehicle has a substantial reduction of harmful emissions compared to cold starts. The Finnish Research Institute, VTT, also revealed a 24% reduction* of fuel consumption with the use of WarmUp.

These findings indicate that increased use of electrical charging and heating would have a major impact on human health and the environment, especially in colder climates.

‘WarmUp was developed back in the days when you needed an engine heater to start your vehicle. Today, convenience and the environmental aspects are additional key factors for the growth of WarmUp’, says Ståle Kvitle. “Perhaps the most surprising finding was the fact that the battery charger and the cabin heater contribute so much to the total reduction in emissions and fuel consumption. With increased focus by manufacturers and government incentives, this technology could make a big difference in people’s lives.”

DEFA WarmUp consists of an engine heater, interior heater, smart onboard battery charger and Bluetooth App-control. It is available for virtually all modern cars and larger vehicles through selected dealerships across Canada.

*Research findings: VTT Research Institute concluded a up to 24% reduction in fuel consumption and a 71% reduction in harmful emissions the first 20 minutes of driving on days colder than +10. Findings are based on comparison of a cold started car and a car preheated with WarmUp. Another study conducted by researchers at Berkeley and MIT also found that almost all emissions in properly functioning, new vehicles came out immediately after starting the cars when their engines were cold. But once new cars warmed up, they had to be driven 100 to 300 miles to match the levels that came out in the first 30 seconds of the engine turning on. Read more