Abstract: A heating unit can reduce the rate of power consumption for heating a vehicle, so that the running distance of the vehicle is increased and hence the battery charging cycle of the vehicle is prolonged. A heating unit of a vehicle heating system includes a casing made of a metal material capable of electromagnetically shielding microwaves, a support arranged in the hollow section of the casing, a plurality of microwave absorbing/heat emitting members arranged at the support and a microwave outputting unit arranged in the casing to output microwaves toward respective microwave absorbing/heat emitting members, blown air being heated by heat generated as a result of absorption of microwaves by the microwave absorbing/heat emitting members at the time for blown air to flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in the hollow sections of the microwave absorbing/heat emitting members.

Abstract: Apparatus and Method for accelerating the warm-up of a heater/defroster in a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle. A working fluid, such as power steering oil is rapidly heated by pumping it through a small orifice. An oil-to-coolant heat exchanger transfers heat from the working fluid to a liquid coolant. A blower generates an air stream and directs it across heat exchange surfaces of a coolant-to-air heat exchanger. Meanwhile the heated coolant is circulating through the interior of the coolant-to-air heat exchanger. This transfers heat from the liquid coolant and warms the air stream.