Get the most out of your EV with these insider tips
Anyone making the switch from a fuel-engine vehicle to an electric vehicle will surely have already noticed: electric driving is something completely different. The comfort and tranquillity are unrivaled. In this article, we give you some exclusive insider tips from drivers who have been behind the wheel of an EV for a while. This is how to really get the most out of your EV!
Little range left? Avoid motorways With electric driving, the rule of thumb is: the slower, the more economical. Whereas with a diesel or petrol vehicle you consume the least by driving at a constant speed, so you drive more efficiently on the motorway than in the city, with an EV it is the other way around. Electric vehicles consume less in town, where you brake and stop more often. On the motorway, you consume more. So are you short on range? Then avoid the motorway. If you do go on the motorway, limit your speed. When you drive 100 km per hour instead of 120, you gain about 30% in range!
Take care of your battery Take care of your battery! It's best to keep your battery charged between 20% and 80% at all times. Indeed, letting your battery charge drop below 20% and charging your battery to 100% all the time will reduce its lifespan. Think of it as a rubber band: if you keep stretching it to its maximum, after a while the stretch will go out of it. Preconditioning is also always a good idea. This means that you let your battery warm up before charging. This also makes charging go faster.
Buy a long charging cable The charging cable you get with your vehicle is usually more than long enough to get from your EV to the charging station, but when you get ICE'd or an EV driver parks in a charging spot without charging, a longer charging cable also comes in handy! Such charging cables are 8 metres long and ensure that you can also easily charge your vehicle, for example, from the spot next to the reserved EV spot.
Provide several charging cards Especially a good tip for when you go abroad! Chances are that you cannot charge everywhere with your current charging card, so before you leave, check carefully in which countries and with which providers you can charge. You can find more information on our website. By buying several charging cards, you save yourself a lot of stress. You can take out a subscription for a short period and cancel it after your trip. On a website like www.laadkaarten.be you can compare different charging cards and decide which suits you best. Goodbye charging stress!
Don't drive to the limit With an internal combustion engine vehicle, you've probably done it before: only filling up with only 5 kilometres left on the odometer. Exciting, but with an EV we don't recommend this. On the one hand, as mentioned earlier, it is better for your battery to recharge at around 20%, but on the other hand it saves you a lot of stress. A handy rule of thumb for when you find the percentages too abstract: do you have less than 100 km on the odometer? Then already think about recharging your vehicle when you see the chance. From 50 km, it's best to really start looking out for a charging solution.
Hypermiling, but do it safely Hypermiling is a trend that came over from the United States. It involves trying to get as far as possible on a single charge. This way, you can make it a sport to drive as economically as possible. By keeping your tyre pressure optimal, for instance, you reduce your rolling resistance. And by driving slowly and anticipating the situation, you save energy. Always keep safety in mind. So do not tailgate behind a truck to ride in its slipstream, as extreme hypermilers sometimes dare to do.
Make smart use of your apps Your EV always comes with an app from the brand itself. By installing it on your smartphone, you get the full potential out of your vehicle. You can use it to determine your charging time, preheat your EV or check how much energy the battery has left. But there are plenty of other apps that will send your driving experience to new heights. A Better Route Planner, for example, helps you plan the optimal route for a long-distance drive with your EV. The app instantly calculates your travel time, charging stops and charging times. Plugshare, in turn, lets you find nearby charging stations and get detailed info on them, such as ratings and availability. Other apps to help you further during your EV journey can be found here.
With these tips, you are all set for the optimal EV experience. Perhaps one last little tip: enjoy! Driving an EV is comfortable, quiet, relaxing and at the same time very dynamic. Drive safe!
