A few tips to improve electric vehicle range

If you have recently purchased an electric vehicle or you are going to be taking possession of an electric vehicle in the upcoming months, you may be interested in figuring out how you can improve the range of your EV. The following article will be able to help you do just that by providing different tips that ensure that your electric vehicle preserves its range and can take you further.

What you will notice about the tips that you see here is that they are very similar to the ways that you can improve fuel economy. By making sure that you drive smoothly and keeping your speed in check, using your vehicle’s functions that allow you to improve range, and by making sure that you keep weight and drag as low as possible, you can get the most range out of your electric vehicle’s battery.

Make sure you drive smoothly and slow down

Driving quickly or being harsh with the brakes or the accelerator will have a negative impact on your electric vehicle’s range. You want to try to be as smooth as possible when you are accelerating or when you are slowing down, and you also want to make sure that you follow the speed limit or at the very least keep your speed in check.

There is a significant difference in overall range between driving at 120 km/h and driving at 100 km/h. Reducing your speed by just 20 km/h can help you gain an extra 15% of range according to multiple studies.

Use your vehicle’s functions

Your electric vehicle will have different driving modes including an ECO mode that will adjust the different settings of the vehicle as well as its functions to optimize range. Moreover, you can use the regenerative braking function to get more range from your vehicle or the navigational system’s route planning function to ensure that you take the most efficient route to your destination. You can also use a pre-warm function in winter to make sure that your vehicle is warmed up when you get in and this will help you avoid having to crank the heat up which uses more of the battery.

Make sure your tires and your vehicle are in good condition

Your tires play a huge role in how efficient your electric vehicle will be. You want to make sure that your tires are in good condition and you also want to make sure that your vehicle is in good condition as well. Making sure that your tires are properly inflated and making sure that you repair any damage to the body and fix any potential issues with the battery or other components of your electric vehicle will ensure that you get the most range out of it.

Reduce weight and drag

Try not to keep any unnecessary items in your vehicle that can increase weight and also try to remove any exterior accessories such as roof boxes when you are not needing them in order to lower drag. Both drag and weight will have a negative impact on range.

Time your charge

Your electric vehicle allows you to determine when charging begins and when it ends. If you come back home with say 60% or 70% of your battery’s charge, you may want to time it so the charging begins closer to when you will need your vehicle so that when charging ends, your vehicle is at full charge the moment you are leaving the house. This will prevent the vehicle from losing part of its charge which will happen slowly if it is just standing in your garage.

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