7 tips to get more autonomy out of your electric vehicle

HOW CAN YOU IMPROVE THE AUTONOMY OF YOUR ELECTRIC VEHICLE?

Do you want to increase the rated distance and autonomy of your electric vehicle? We give you 7 useful tips on how to achieve this.

1. Time your charge

Do you need the full range of your EV’s batteries when you start? If not, it’s recommended to only charge to 80% to preserve the long-term life of your battery. But if you want your EV to be fully charged, it’s best to try and time it so it’s at full power right before you need it. This might sound contradictory, but if you leave your EV plugged in the batteries will slowly self-discharge when they’ve finished charging which reduces the range of your EV.

It’s also worth noting that batteries generally hold less charge when cold, so you can increase your range by ensuring your charging station is heated or only start to charge after warming up the battery by driving a short distance.

There’s one other advantage of timing your charge: if you plan to do this during off-peak hours, you can also reduce your electricity bill.

2. Drive smoothly

The easiest way to get more range out of your EV is to drive slowly and smoothly. Unnecessary fluctuations in speed, driving fast, and rapid starts all drain the battery quicker than you’d like. For example, some experts state that by avoiding accelerating too much and too fast, you can extend your range by up to 3%.

It might sound obvious but driving uphill consumes more energy than driving on a flat road. But it is possible to recover some of that excess energy when you drive downhill.

3. Maximise regenerative braking

Regenerative braking helps to recharge your battery while your EV slows down, extending its range. As a side note, it also saves you money on brake pad and rotor maintenance. To maximise the benefits of regenerative braking, it’s important to release the accelerator in good time and brake slowly and smoothly instead of slamming your foot down. The battery uses kinetic energy from the EV’s forward motion to recover energy and charge your car. In fact, experts state that you can typically gain up to 15% more range for city driving. This sounds impressive until you see that an extended downhill trip under optimal conditions can recharge your EV by up to 50%.

4. Plan efficient routes

What is more important to you: reaching your destination quickly or maximising your EV’s operating range? The motorway is an easy answer if the first is more important, while the second requires driving steadily at lower speeds, so avoiding areas known for heavy traffic as well as hilly areas if possible. We recommend using your EV’s navigation system to suggest energy-efficient routes where possible.

5. Limit AC and heating usage

Using the heaters and air conditioning consumes significant amounts of energy. An alternative on cold days is to pre-heat the vehicle while it is still plugged in, so you need less heating when driving. And if the fan isn’t enough for warm days, you can open the windows to create a breeze. While this does affect your EV’s aerodynamics, especially at higher speeds, it is less draining than using the air conditioning.

6. Maintain your tyres

From the weight of the vehicle and its passengers and cargo to the rolling resistance of the road, your EV’s tyres have to withstand a lot of pressure. That’s why it’s vital that your tyres are well maintained and inflated to the recommended PSI. Under-inflated tyres, for example, increases energy consumption, reducing range by up to 5%, and can lead to uneven and/or premature tread wear.
For safety reasons, it’s often a good idea to use winter tyres on your EV during colder months. However, this could have an impact on your planning, as winter tyres can reduce the autonomy of an EV by up to 15%.

Be light and aerodynamic

Your EV works hard to transport you, your passengers, and your cargo from point A to point B. However, the lighter and more aerodynamic the vehicle, the more efficient it will be. In other words, is there anything that you don’t need to carry? And is your cargo efficiently packed away?

To put this into perspective, experts state that every 100kg of weight on a load bed or trailer reduces the range of an EV by 3.5% for a lead acid battery or 3.0% for a lithium battery. And tests done with internal combustion engine (ICE) cars showed that a roof rack affects fuel efficiency by as much as 25%. We believe that the figures for EVs are similar.

Driving with an Addax EV

Driving range is not the only difference between ICE cars and EVs. EVs have a lower environmental impact, are quieter, and are better suited for “stop and go” applications, as the engine is recharged through regenerative braking.