6 Ways to Improve Your Electric Vehicle Range
With improved battery technology, electric vehicles (EV) can travel further on a single charge than ever before. With the continued increase in charging infrastructure electric vehicle adoption is becoming a more viable option for fleets looking to transition to electric. However, for many EV owners and potential EV customers, range anxiety has been a common issue and one of the biggest potential stumbling block to EV adoption. There are many things EV drivers can do to improve the range of their electric vehicles. Here are our 6 tips for extending your electric vehicle range .
1. Slow down and stop speeding
Firstly, one of the biggest killers to EV range is speeding. Simply, the faster you drive, the more energy you’ll use from the battery. If you want to improve your electric vehicles range, slow down whilst driving and don’t be heavy footed on the accelerator. The optimal speed for an electric vehicle is below 56mph. So, when driving on a motorway, driving below the motorway speed limit will result in significantly improved range, fewer stops for charging and avoid speeding fines. Working with our EV customers, their fleet can now travel three times as far using the same amount of energy.
2. Maximise regenerative braking
One of the best features about driving an electric vehicle is regenerative (re-gen) braking. Simply put, re-gen in an electric vehicle sends energy back to the battery every time you lift your foot off the accelerator. While the energy returned to the battery is small each time, it really does add up to more miles, leveraging the re-generative braking system effectively, especially around town, can add a considerable number of miles to the range of the EV. The additional bonus of utilising regenerative braking on an electric vehicle is the brakes in the vehicle can last significantly longer as the traditional friction brake isn’t being used as often.
3. Smooth acceleration
Harsh acceleration will drain your electric car battery and range at a much quicker rate. It might be tempting to exploit an EV’s instant torque when taking off at a traffic light, but this will come at a cost of reduced range. Smoothly accelerating from a standing start will maximise vehicle range, savings battery energy and reduce the number of stops required to charge the vehicle.
4. Efficient route planning
Whilst driving style plays an important role in getting the most out of your electric vehicles range, other factors such as efficient route planning can also affect an electric vehicles range. Avoiding high-speed routes such as motorway and dual carriageways are another way to extend an EV’s range. However, some journeys may require motorway driving so we would recommend correcting your driving style to ensure you maximise EV range whilst on high-speed routes. Route planning solutions like Maxoptra will find the best energy saving routes, maximising your electric vehicles range, and avoiding needless stops for charging.
5. Pre-condition the vehicle
Another way to maximise EV range is to pre-condition the vehicle to avoid using the air con or heating whilst driving. Using the climate control features whilst driving an EV will put a drain on battery power. Therefore, limiting the use of the air-conditioning and heating features in an electric vehicle will reduce the energy used and subsequently increase the vehicles range capacity. Pre-conditioning the vehicle whilst it is on charge will maximise the vehicles energy consumption and EV range further.
6. Stay on top of tyre management
Tyre management can play a vital role in maximising your EV range. To ensure your vehicle is getting the most range possible, make sure that your tyres are properly inflated as close to the manufacturer’s specification as possible (this is usually found on a sticker fixed to the inside of the driver’s side door frame). Whenever your electric vehicles tyres are underinflated not only will EV range decrease but can lead to uneven and early tread wear. Electric vehicles require specific tyres due to the additional weight and instant torque to withstand. Therefore, when replacing EV tyres, make sure to replace them with models designed specifically for electric vehicles.
With these tips we hope to reduce your range anxiety and show that electric vehicles can meet your range expectations. When driven correctly and efficiently electric vehicles can fulfil fleets requirements. Continue to monitor your electric fleets range capabilities with Geotab’s detailed electric vehicle reports, as seen below.
Want to continue learning about electric vehicles, read our latest EV telematics blog.
Read Blog
Subscribe
Subscribe to our mailing list