Electric Vehicles (EVs offer tons of financial and environmental benefits. However, range anxiety is a common concern, and Owners often look for ways how to improve electric car mileage to get more range on a single charge.
Not to worry, by adjusting some driving habits, and using smart navigation applications along with some smart charging strategies, you can significantly increase your electric car’s range.
This post dives into practical and proven ways to extend electric cars’ range, from adjusting driving habits to using smart navigation applications along with some smart charging strategies.
This provides a complete guide, along with expert insights and practical tips to extend the range of your electric car.
Here are some tips to improve electric car mileage:
1. Better driving habits
Instant torque of EVs can be tempting, but unnecessary acceleration and braking consume a lot of energy, affecting range. Instead going at a steady pace with smooth acceleration and braking takes less energy, offering an extended range.
2. Optimal driving speed
The “eco mode” is the best way to drive an electric car, since it maintains an optimal speed to save energy. Driving the electric car between 70 kmph to 80 kmph on smooth roads is the perfect speed to maximize the battery’s potential offering an increased range.
3. Use regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is an efficient way to save energy and range to improve electric car mileage, which would otherwise be lost due to braking. It acts like a generator while braking to convert the energy lost into kinetic energy. This little extra power charges the electric vehicle battery offering some extra range.
4. Tire pressure monitoring
Low tire pressure can adversely affect the range of electric cars by consuming more energy. Regularly check and maintain tire pressure as per the standards set by the manufacturer to improve electric car mileage. Tire pressure monitoring reduces friction to save energy and offers higher ranges.
5. Plan your routes efficiently
Relying on traditional navigation apps can sometimes lead you to a dummy EV charging station, wasting your time and energy. Instead, opt for EV charging apps and websites with verified and real-time information about EV chargers on the way, along with the weather and traffic information. This will help you choose EV-friendly routes to save energy to offer better range.
6. Smart EV charging habits
If you have the habit of draining the electric car’s battery to its lowest level before charging, this degrades your EV’s battery and the range it offers. Keeping the electric car’s battery between 30% – 80% is a proven way to maintain battery health and improve electric car’s range.
7. Smart use of AC and Heaters
Climate control features of the car like the AC and heater maintain an optimal temperature for driving. However, they consume a lot of energy to function affecting the range of an electric car. Instead, pre-heating or precooling the car while charging and driving with windows pulled down can save a lot of energy offering extended range.
8. Reduce additional weight
The lighter the electric car, the less energy it consumes to move. Avoid carrying too much weight in your trunk or installing heavy accessories on your electric car. This will reduce the extra weight and air drag due to accessories, offering a higher range.
9. Regular software updates
As you already know most functions of an electric car are controlled by its software. And since EV technology is evolving every day, EV manufacturers rolling out new software updates now and then. Regularly check for software updates from the manufacturer that can further improve you electric car’s range.
How to Calculate Electric Car’s Mileage
Efficiency of an electric car is measured by calculating range offered by an electric car on a single unit of electricity. It is measured in terms of kmph or mph. Here is a easy method to calculate the rage efficiency of an electric car:
Estimate energy consumption
Figure out energy consumed during a journey by checking the pre and post battery status. If your car has a 30kW battery capacity, and you started the journey at 100% battery status. Upon completion of the trip, if you are left with 50% battery capacity, the energy consumption would be 15kW.
Total distance covered
Find out the total distance covered during the trip. Lets say, it is 200 km for the current scenario.
Formula for EV range efficiency
Here’s a simple formula to calculate electric car’s range efficiency:
Efficiency (km/kWh) = Distance (km) / Energy Consumed (kWh)
In the current example, the range efficiency would be:
Efficiency = 200 km/15 kWh = 13.3 km/kWh
Expertise you can trust
Expertise you can trust
This guide is provided to you by electric vehicle experts and review team at Ecogears, an exclusive electric vehicle media hub to accelerate EV adoption in the nation. We are committed to provide EV owners with accurate knowledge and practical tips to utilize the full potential of their electric vehicles and improve electric car mileage.
FAQs
Range of an electric car can be significantly improved by following better driving habits, regular maintenance, optimal driving speeds and following smart charging strategies.
Driving in an optimal speed is proved to offer better range. Driving between 70 kmph to 80 kmph on smooth roads is considered as optimal driving speed for better range.
Cold weather impacts electric vehicle’s range significantly over 30%. Battery potential is less efficient during extreme cold weathers. Also, the climate control features like heaters further degrade the range efficiency.
