Even if autonomy increases each year, the stress of “running out” in an electric car is still very present, especially on long journeys. And, with many motorists going electric, it’s easy to pick up a few bad habits that casually eat up your battery without you realizing it. With the key, more and more frequent passages to the terminal, and time (and money) wasted. Here are our tips for avoiding these pitfalls!
Use the brakes as little as possible
Electric cars can recover energy when decelerating: make the most of this “free” electricity! Use the “Brake” mode, which allows the car to be braked by increasing regeneration when lifting the foot, especially in town.
Do not charge more than 80% or below 20%
Modern batteries do not like to be charged above 80%, and to be discharged below 20%. In addition to taking longer to recharge, you will eventually use up the batteries, and gradually lose autonomy. Plan your charging stations accordingly, and adapt your driving.
Don’t drive too fast and don’t take the highway
If you’ve ever taken the highway on electric, you’ve surely seen your range plummet. And for good reason: air friction increases very quickly with speed. Avoid the freeway, or limit yourself to 110 km / h. The best solution remains to favor national roads, limited to 110 or 80/90 km / h. These speeds are ideal for long journeys. Do not lose patience: you will only pay for this excess spirit when it comes time to charge.
Do not ride cold batteries
It is a habit in thermal, to take care to warm up the engine before setting off. But why do the same in electric? It’s simple: battery chemistry works less well in cold weather. Charging times are lengthened, and autonomy reduced. A problem obviously much more present in winter.
To cope with the phenomenon, more and more cars are equipped with a battery preheating system, such as Tesla for example. If this is the case, think for example of entering the address of a terminal where you are going to charge, to tell the car when to prepare the batteries. Once the “full” is done, immediately take the wheel, so that they do not cool down. In winter, if possible, park in a garage and turn on the heating before getting behind the wheel.
Do not turn on the air conditioning or heating on full
Air conditioning and heating are two major consumers of energy in electric cars. In summer, therefore, do not cool the interior too much: it is also bad for your health. Same thing in winter, put on a sweater and scarf rather than asking the batteries to warm up the car.
If this equipment is available, prefer the use of heated or ventilated seats and steering wheels rather than the temperature of the ventilation, they are more efficient. Finally, remember to preheat or pre-cool the car before setting off, when it is still charging.
Avoid roof boxes
In thermal, the roof boxes are an aerodynamic brake that generates over-consumption: no reason that it is different in electric! Avoid this equipment, even if it means spending more time getting everything in the trunk, or sacrificing some luggage.
Do not ride with underinflated tires
Here again, thermal or electric, the consequences are the same: driving with under-inflated tires increases your fuel consumption and therefore decreases your range, in addition to being dangerous. So take care to check your pressures regularly, especially for a long trip or if you are driving particularly loaded.
Do not ride too loaded
Weight is the enemy! Each kilogram you accelerate costs you autonomy. So, before deciding which t-shirt to take on a trip, be sure to check that nothing extra is left in your trunk.
Do not open the window
You have been told that the air conditioning is energy intensive, so in the summer it is tempting to turn it down and open the window … But the eddies created in this way slow down your car. And even if the effect is minimal in town, it can quickly grab percents of battery once on the road. Especially since the air conditioning can then continue to mill in an attempt to cool the atmosphere …
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