One of the most important aspects of driving an electric vehicle is making sure you get the most of out it. Electric vehicles, although improving every day, do not have the same range as conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, so if you are new to the world of electric cars you may have to change some of your driving habits. Luckily, maximizing your electric car is relatively easy with a few simple driving tips.
When driving an electric vehicle try to avoid slamming on your brakes. Gentle, moderate braking will help the regenerative braking engage, giving you more mileage for your charge. If you brake hard, your conventional brakes will be engaged, giving you no benefits.
Slowing down in general can also assist you with your range. Speeding will likely not make a big difference in how quickly you get to your destination — and can be dangerous and illegal — but reducing your speed even a little bit can have a positive effect on your range, allowing you to go further, even if it takes a little bit longer to get there. Taking a few extra minutes to get to your destination is far more preferable than running out of battery on the way!
Make sure you have a charged battery, and plan ahead for places you can charge if you are going outside of the range before you head home. In many locations, there are public charging spaces available, so if you are heading out on a long journey, map your route ahead of time to incorporate charging stops in places that are open and accessible to you.
If you do not need a system, turn it off! This means not running the air conditioner, radio, or other optional features when you are trying to conserve your battery and use it as efficiently as possible. Of course, you will occasionally want or need to use these features but if you are running low on power or trying to travel a longer distance than usual, think hard about what you actually need to turn on and what can be switched off without affecting your trip.
In many ways, you can drive an electric vehicle just like a conventional vehicle, but if you want to keep your range up and reduce the amount of times you have to charge while on a trip, focus on these driving tips for best results.
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Last Updated: May 21, 2015
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