Tips on Getting the Most Range from your vehicle.
Range Anxiety, and some Tips!
We wanted to share some tips on increasing the range of EVs. Range anxiety is one of the most talked about topics for potential EV owners who are still deciding whether or not to purchase an EV.
A recent study of American households showed at least one quarter of the population is familiar with EVs. Of those familiar at least a quarter of those weren’t sure about buying an EV because of range concerns, and charging their cars as the main reasons for holding off buying an EV.
Here are some things we recommend in getting the most out of your cars battery capacity.
1. Slow down!
Your car uses considerably more battery consumption by going faster. So when you’re on the highway stick within 5 miles an hour of the speed limit. Your consumption can drastically be reduced by faster driving.
2. Be Prepared: Where are you Charging?
Be smart when Charging!
When you’re on a road trip, use a planner to optimize your range. When your vehicle has less stored energy (lower state of charge) it will charge faster. So consider going as far as you can, and charging for less time. (If your car permits). Your vehicle may get 250KwH for the first 6 minutes then 118 for another 10 minutes, then 60 for the rest. That means you will have maximized your stop in the first 10-18 minutes typically. (*often giving you well over 1/2 to 3/4 of a full charge if not much more).
Do you live in a place with charging available when you get home? Or are you sharing a charger with other residents or guests?
If you have your own home charger unless you drive for work, you will most likely have at least a few days of charge after a single night of charging. Level 2 chargers will provide at least 7 kWh of energy on a charge, which means you will be fully charged within 7 to 10 hours for most batteries. If you are using a level one charger, then count on one to two miles per hour. So overnight, you will still get 20 or 30 miles of range.
If you are staying at a hotel, make sure they have charging stations available. It’s much more relaxing to wake up in the morning with a full charge.
If you rent somewhere, make a deal with the landlord to install a charging station or ensure your complex or building has chargers.
If you’re staying with friends or relatives, make sure you have a mobile connector to get some juice overnight.
"EnergyOne are experts in supplying hotels, apartments, condominiums, and all commercial spaces state of the art dedicated charging equipment."
Weight
Your vehicle typically comes with some heavy wheels. Get the smallest and lightest wheels and rims you can. (smaller is typically more comfortable as well).
Why are tires important? If you can reduce your rotational weight, and increase rotational efficiency, you are a winner off the bat! Tires, and rims are heavy and affect the amount of energy your car needs to go forward on the road.
One study concluded that a 10% wieght reduction could improve your range by almost 14%. (that goes a long way on a vehicle with 260 mile range! That will bet your vehicle to close to 300 mile range! Really that is a stretch goal, but realistically expect 4-6% by changing the way your vehicles wheels rotate. (That’s a minimum of 500 miles a month with typical driving).