5 Tips To Ensure You Never Run Out Of Battery In Your Electric Vehicle

So you’ve bought your Electric Vehicle (EV), or you’re considering buying one, but you dread running out of battery somewhere without access to a charger or even a kind stranger to help. 

Can you imagine how that can play out?

Stranded on a road trip with no imminent help?

Running late to work and your battery gives out on you because you forgot to charge it the night before?

What happens in times of an emergency? 

Alright, take a deep breath…

You can prevent all flavours of embarrassment and anxiety by caring for your EV’s battery with these five tips we’ll discuss below.

■ Driving;

■ Weight; 

■ Route; 

■ Charging;

■ Climate.

An electric vehicle is powered by the most expensive component in its chassis, which is its battery. So whether your EV runs on a Lithium-ion battery like the Tesla or on a Nickel-metal hydride like Toyota, caring for your battery is caring for your EV. 

Let’s take a ride through the tips mentioned above, shall we?

Driving 

What’s not to like when driving your electric vehicle?

There’s responsive acceleration so fast it draws the future towards you while taking your breath away. There’s regenerative braking to bring your smooth, sweet, silent experience to a satisfying halt. To keep this experience as you move from one place to another, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when driving your electric vehicle. 

■ Inflate your tires properly, as poorly inflated tires make your battery work harder for the same distance;

■ Accelerate when necessary, as lead-footed driving takes a toll on your battery. Slow and steady is key.

Weight 

With the rise of the EV market, it’s been fascinating to see all kinds of vehicles converted to electric. My favourites are the classic Ford Mustang and 1964 Corvair, but I digress. 

You see, EVs like the Tesla models have blessed us with awe and inspiration regardless of whether them being young or yonder. Even buyers have joined the fun by adding accessories to their EVs. But these extra accessories like roof racks and cargo carriers can be a drag on your EV’s battery. 

Instead, pay attention to your payload, which is your car weight, including luggage and people inside. When you’re back from an outing, empty your trunks so that you can move around with the weight necessary for another journey. 

Route 

The route you take to frequent destinations, like your workplace, can affect your battery consumption levels. In some cases, you may consider avoiding the highway as it encourages lead-footed driving. Another tip to keep in mind would be terrain. It matters if your journey to the office is on the smooth near-table surface of tarred roads or rugged country roads. 

Consider your location’s terrain when charging your electric vehicle, as more charging sessions would be appropriate. Also, you can combat this extra drain on your battery by switching to gas with the appropriate drive mode if you drive a hybrid. 

One other thing you can do when deciding on what route to take with your EV is to look out for car charging stations along your chosen route and battery charge before you head out. You don’t want to be left on E with no place to turn to. 

Charging  

It should be obvious to an electronic device user that you need to charge your battery to avoid running out of one. But do you know that your battery can die from too much charging?

Yes. Deep discharging happens when you leave your charged electric vehicle unused for long periods. Also, having your battery fast charged can take as much as 10% off its battery life as high surges of direct current cause micro damage to your battery cells.

As much as possible, charge your EV using the standard option to charge your battery to full capacity. If you can, use an EV charging application and plan your journey around that. 80% charge is good enough as well. Charging all night remains a good idea if you can limit charging to the numbers above via your car’s software. Unless you’re stranded on the road and need a large boost, avoid using the rapid charge option too often. 

Climate 

Extreme climates can affect battery consumption for your EV. In hotter climates or summers, find a shade for your car. Adjust to frequent charging as you’ll likely use more air conditioning to maintain cabin temperature. The same goes for winter months and colder climates. Your battery works harder to get that cabin temperature under control with a heater.

A 2019 study by the American Automobile Association showed that the EV range dropped at both ends of extreme temperatures, with as much as a 41% dip at temperatures below 20°F and nearly a 20% drop off at 95°F and above.

A Round-Up

With an electric vehicle, you can have it both ways — a great driving experience and a good battery to back it up. You just have to care for them, and they’ll reciprocate.

But before we round up, here are two extra tips to help keep your battery charged and powerful whenever needed.

1. Go through your car manual. With the evolution of product development in the technology scene, gadgets come out of the box working without much technical know-how from the user. It’s pretty common to buy, say, a smartphone and not look at its manual. But if you either purchased an electric vehicle or are planning to, it’ll do you good to study the manual. See the capacity of your battery and understand the manufacturer’s forecast for its long-term performance;

2. Pay attention to battery safety. Manufacturers of electric vehicles spend a ton of money and time on safety precautions around car batteries. But it’s your responsibility to understand the risks associated with EVs and their batteries and use them responsibly to prevent accidents in the future.

If you follow these tips, you’ll never have to worry about being stranded on the road with a low battery.

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