Investigation on the performance enhancement of electric vehicle heat pump system with air-to-air regenerative heat exchanger in cold condition

•Electric vehicle heat pump model with thermal load of cabin is established.•Performance of heat pump system with air-to-air regenerative heat exchanger is assessed.•Heating, dehumidification load, and resultant power consumption are reduced with air-to-air regenerative heat exchanger.•Air-to-air regenerative heat exchanger enhances the performance of the heat pump system in both recirculation mode and outdoor air mode.