Indian EV market, like never before, is coming up with new EVs or EVs with extra miles compared to their previous year models. EVs with a wide range of 180-460 Km/charge are available in the Indian market. Despite this, a range of anxiety persists among EV owners. This so-called “range-anxiety” also hinders new car owners from switching to EVs in their next or first buy of a passenger vehicle.

However, there are certain simple ways out there which can get an owner the maximum kilometers per charge and sometimes even let them go beyond the rated range of the EV. Here we will summarize a few ways owners can opt to achieve the maximum range.

1) Speed Control

Try to keep your EV under 80-85 km/hr of speed for most of the distance travelled. Apart from saving you from an over-speeding fine, this will significantly enhance your battery’s range. Research suggests that reducing speed by 16 km/hr leads to 14% less energy usage. Try to avoid sports mode as much as possible and run your EV in eco-mode, if there is one.

2) Optimize Regenerative Braking

As much as possible, try to use the EV’s regenerative braking function whenever you stop. It will recover some portion of the energy lost. Enable your EV’s maximum regenerative setting to send extra energy back to the battery while decelerating.

3) Avoid Unnecessary Weight

There will be a noticeable increase in the EV’s efficiency when travelling with a relatively lower weight. Research suggests that 150 kg extra weight increases energy consumption by 1.5-2%. So, try to eliminate unnecessary stuff while planning a trip.

4) Keep it simple

Avoid enticing, fancy exterior accessories like cargo carriers and roof racks on your vehicle. These accessories could create the aerodynamic drag, increasing energy consumption at higher speeds.

5) Responsible Charging

For the battery’s long-term health and to hit a few extra miles on the road, you need to time your charge such that the battery pack is at its full strength just before you start your journey. Make sure to put the charger off when the pack is fully charged as some packs will slowly self-discharge post-full charging.

6) Avoid Full AC mode

We know AC is a must requirement for most areas of India. But ACs operating at their full mode is something we Indians can get away with at least for a few months of summer, barring May and June. A moderate or slow AC would work fine in all those months. These slight air-conditioning moderations while travelling will significantly impact your EV range. Similarly, avoid the full mode of AC while using it as a heater during winter.

7) Optimally Inflated Tires

Like any conventional vehicle, EVs underperform when running with under or over-inflated tires. So, monitor the air pressure regularly and maintain it per standard norms. These small attentions by the EV owner will significantly impact over the period.

8) Smooth Drive

Having a lead-foot while driving will lead to a fast-paced draining of your battery. As much as possible, avoid sudden braking and accelerating of the vehicle. Sudden speeding up may help you get some adrenaline rush, but it’s a complete NO if you are eyeing an efficient EV performance.

 

The abovementioned, seemingly minor details do wonders for your EV experience if followed religiously.

 

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