Top 5 Ways to Increase Range of EVs

There are various ways in which the range of an Electric car may be enhanced. Although some of the latest electric models go over 300 km in a single full charge, so-called range anxiety remains a common malady among EV owners. That’s totally understandable though. Nobody would like to be stranded on the roadside with a depleted battery. Need for charging up again and again for short distances is another headache.

There are many ways to increase the distance that a car would travel for the same available battery capacity. But here are our most efficient top 5 ways to increase range of an electric vehicle.

Maximize Regenerative Braking

Whenever possible, try to use your EV’s energy-recovering regenerative braking function as you come to a stop. This implies, use the brakes only when necessary. You may enable your car’s maximum regenerative setting to send that extra power back to the vehicle’s batteries while decelerating.

Time Your Charge

You must refrain to keep your car on its charger whenever it’s in the garage. Most EV batteries will slowly self-discharge when they’ve finished charging. Consequently, by timing the charge, you may be able to recover a few extra miles of range as, now, the battery pack is at full strength just before you hit the road. This is also beneficial to the battery’s long-term health. Further, if your electricity provider offers a lower rate for off-peak use, it can save you money.

Plan A More-Efficient Route

This is more like common sense but qualifies to be here. Roadblocks, processions, and other such hindrances increase the use of power for frequent braking, acceleration, and deceleration. Also, sometimes it may take less time to get to a given destination by driving on some usual route. But if there’s some less-travelled option, and you are not in a real hurry, you can help maximize your car’s operating range. Choose a route that allows you to drive steadily at lower speeds.

Travel Light

Reducing a vehicle’s weight is the easiest way to boost its efficiency. In fact, carrying an additional 100 pounds of cargo can increase a vehicle’s energy consumption by 1-2% percent. Further, avoid installing exterior accessories like roof racks and cargo carriers.

Rely Less on AC

Operating the air conditioning consumes battery power at a rapid rate. Try running only the fan, and not the compressor, whenever possible. Consider pre-cooling the car in the summer months, while it’s charging, to help reduce the need to run the AC once you hit the road.