Numerous people have found that owning an Electric Vehicle (EV) has several advantages. It is good for the environment, and news outlets have claimed that consumers could save thousands of dollars on fuel in the next decade. EVs are great cars for normal driving, but they need some adjustments when planning long road trips. Find out which tricks can improve your road trip experience with an EV.
Check the battery range
Before driving an electric vehicle long distance, you should know the exact range of your car. You can find information regarding this in your owner’s manual or on the manufacturer’s website. This will enable you to plan stops for charging your EV and avoid running out of charge in a remote area.
Plan your stops
Plan stops along your route to coincide with available charging stations to ensure a smooth journey. Plan out the charging time in advance to make use of the electricity supplied by the chargers – don’t charge overnight if it’s going to cost you more money. Ensure that you have access to food and water and toilets while you’re at the charging station.
Contact hotels in advance
Before leaving on a multi-day trip, confirm with local layover hotels whether they have the proper wiring to charge your electric vehicle. You should also call up restaurants along your route to confirm that you’ll be able to charge your batteries while you eat or rest.
Bring along an earthing kit
Certain establishments (e.g., restaurants and hotels) are not equipped with the same outlets for electric vehicles that you may use at home. As a result, EV drivers need to be prepared for situations in which they will have to improvise by bringing an earthing kit that allows them to plug in their vehicle to any outlet, even one that is not designed for EV charging.
Drive safely
Electric cars include a range indicator that shows the remaining distance you can drive before the battery needs to be recharged. If you have a longer trip than your car’s range, you can calibrate your driving pattern to increase the range. For example, hard acceleration uses battery power quickly, so try driving at a steady speed by varying your acceleration and deceleration. Instead of slamming on the brake pedal to stop, let off the accelerator a few seconds before you want to slow down, which allows the regenerative braking system to charge your battery.