March 6, 2023
Abby Nuttall
Driver Articles
One of the main concerns we hear from drivers about taking on an EV is the mileage range, and once we alleviate their fears about whether they’ll be able to manage in day-to-day life with the vehicle’s range the next question they ask is “What if I go on a longer trip?”. So we’ve written this article to help answer this question, with our top tips to help you maximise your car’s mileage range and reduce the time you spend waiting for it to recharge en route.
Top Five Tips for Keeping Your EV Charged on a Long Journey
1. Get Set Up on the Apps
If you’re travelling to a different part of the UK then we recommend checking who provides the public charging units in the area as they may be different to who provides and manages units in your local area.
For drivers covering a long distance then you should also look at who provides the chargers where you will need to have a charging stop as they may be different as well. If they are different, then you can get yourself set up on them to reduce the time you spend at the charging point whilst travelling. It will also avoid any issues if there is poor phone service in the area that could delay or prevent the set-up process.
2. Fully Charge the Night Before
We normally don’t recommend fully charging your EV overnight for daily use but if you’re planning on covering a lot of miles and will need the full range, or more, then you should let the car reach full charge.
If you’re using a home charger then you should be able to set the charger so that it safely fully charges your car overnight.
3. Plan Your Route
We recommend planning your route before you set off. Not only will this give you an accurate eta but can help you plan your charging stops in convenient times for you at locations with faster charging speeds.
One tool we find particularly useful for this is Zap Maps’ interactive map which shows all chargers in the UK and whether they are available or not.
4. Reduce Your Ancillary Usage
If you’re trying to get the longest range possible then you should think about reducing your ancillary feature usage. Things like the air conditioner, heated seats and radio all need power and will reduce the battery power available for the electric motor system which means a lower mileage.
We know that some of these features are essential, like lights, or needed to make the drive comfortable and enjoyable, like the radio or heating, and so whilst you can reduce your use of them, we don’t recommend doing so if it makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
5. Reduce Your Speed
The faster you travel the more power is needed to move you and this means that the battery is depleted at a quicker rate than if you were travelling at slower speeds. Additionally, if you have to accelerate and brake frequently or rapidly because of other traffic then this will require even more power and reduce your mileage range further.
We recommend travelling a little slower if you’re trying to maximise the mileage range.
Enjoyed this article? Read more of our latest blogs below:
- Reducing Fleet Speeding
- Top Five Saloon Cars
- The Most and Least Loved EVs in the UK
- Understanding the Different Driving Licence Categories
Want to know more about fleet vehicles?
For all our latest news and blogs click HERE.
Or are you looking to understand the company car, fleet management or any other aspect of fleet vehicles? If so, then check out our Guide Pages.