Driving an electric vehicle for the first time can seem like a daunting prospect but it needn't be. Whether it's running low on battery power during long journeys you're most concerned about, or fitting recharging into your day-to-day routine, our top 10 good habits should help make EV charging and range preservation a doddle.
1. Set up charging accounts
If you’re travelling more than the mileage range of your EV then it's worth downloading the mobile apps associated with popular public chargers that are in your area or on your usual routes.
As well as downloading the apps, make sure you log in and complete the account set up for each one in advance of making your first journeys so that you're not held up en route to your destination at the charging station.
2. Charge at home where possible
Although charging to over 80% regularly isn't advisable for prolonging battery life long-term, on the occasions when you’ve got a particularly long drive ahead, it makes sense to make sure you’re fully charged before setting off. Plug your vehicle in overnight and make sure it's set up to charge completely.
3. Plan your route
If you're going to need to recharge your vehicle en route, there are a number of EV route planning apps you can take advantage of such as Electroverse which has a customisable route planner that’ll get you around both the UK and Europe, tailoring your journey based on your EV's range and displaying the places you can charge on the way.
4. Plan stays with recharging in mind
There's an app called EV hotels with over 250,000 hotels registered all over the world, enabling you to quickly and conveniently find a hotel with an EV charging station near you and even allowing you to filter hotel chains if you have a preferred brand.
5. Keep your speed down
As with any car, going faster in an EV requires more power, and this means that your battery will drain faster and your range will reduce. If you’ve already had your EV for a while then you’ll likely be familiar with the impact higher speeds have on your range but if driving an electric vehicle is all new to you, travel at a more sedate pace, scheduling charging stops with smaller intervals at the beginning, in case your range drops more quickly than you were expecting.
You'll soon get to understand how speed and other driving conditions appear to impact your range and make adjustments accordingly. Travelling at lower speeds makes range preservation a natural part of your day.
6. Don't use ancillary features unnecessarily
Using air conditioning, heated seats and even your lights, consumes additional battery power which could all be used to supply you with more mileage range. So, if you’re trying to get the most out of your battery on a single charge for a particular journey keep the the use of those ancillary features to a minimum.
7. Use regenerative braking
This is a feature most electric cars have, to maximise energy recovery by using regenerative braking systems which return energy to the car's main battery as electricity so it can be used to drive the wheels.
8. Optimise driving style
In addition to keeping your speed steady, as we mentioned earlier, there are other ways you can optimise your driving style to conserve the vehicle's electrical power, such as avoiding unnecessary acceleration and deceleration, and using cruise control where possible.
9. Check tyre pressure
Keeping your tyres inflated to recommended levels can extend your EV range since underinflated tyres increase rolling resistance, draining the battery. So checking tyre pressure regularly is a great way to make range preservation a part of your day.
10. Remove excess baggage
Since heavier loads require more energy to move, carrying unnecessary weight in your electric vehicle will reduce the distance it can travel on a single charge. Of course, there are times you need to transport people or sports gear from one place to another, but there will also be plenty of instances where you've probably left equipment or tools in your boot unnecessarily. Bear in mind the impact this can have on range and remove all items from your vehicle that you don't need if you're undertaking a long journey and need to preserve your range.