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As EVs continue to gain popularity with households worldwide, users need to understand how to get the most out of them. While EVs have been around for few years now, compared to ICE vehicles, they’re still in their infancy.
Properly managing your EVs helps you save money and even lower your carbon footprint. In this guide from Allied Motors, we will take a look at maximizing the benefits of owning an EV.
When you own an EV, charging is an indispensable part of the process. Since several people don’t have a clear picture of how to manage an EV efficiently, the process is something that needs to be discussed.
Installing a home EV charger is the most convenient and cost-effective way to keep your EV charged. With most chargers, you can program it to charge during off-peak hours, decreasing your electricity expenses. A quick charger in some cases are not viable option for home use due to high setup and energy consumption costs.
With the advent of EVs, public charging stations have started coming up quickly in key hotspot areas around the town. With the nature of EVs and charging time, it is important that you plan your route and utilize fast charging points. These reduce your downtime and ensure you’re on your way quicker than regular charging points.
When opting for public charging, ensure that you plan ahead. Several apps allow you to locate fast charging stations throughout your journey. Leverage these apps and services to ensure short wait times and enjoyable journeys.
One of the ways to maintain your EV and ensure long battery life is to charge strategically. Understanding how and when to charge your battery can help ensure better battery health. Keep a close eye on your battery and ensure it always stays at the optimal level.
Overcharging will result in shorter battery life and replacing your battery sooner. However, latest EV’s have battery charging cutoff function and it is vital to maintain shallow charges to ensure optimal battery life. This means never charging to full and maintaining discharge above 1/5th of the total charge.
Considering a key portion of the total cost of an EV is the battery, you need to take care of it to ensure better battery health. Follow battery charging best practices so your EV’s battery serves you for a long time. The two most important parts of battery management are avoiding deep discharges and keeping your EV’s software up to date.
Deep discharge refers to the battery charge dropping to <20% during operation. One of the biggest mistakes EV owners can commit is deep discharges. It is also the same with overcharging charging the battery every time.
Both these conditions can drop battery life really quickly. It results in shorter battery life and lower capacity. Over time, your EVs ability to accelerate and provide regenerative braking will also suffer. Ensure that you periodically charge your EV battery and not let it go below the threshold.
Manufacturers regularly release software updates for EV vehicles. They are essential to keep your vehicle’s software updated, affecting your car’s operation, especially the battery. Software updates often include improvements to battery management and charging algorithms. They can help improve battery efficiency and improve its lifespan.
Software updates can also improve EV performance and safety features. It can address software vulnerabilities and give owners more options to customize specific areas of the EV. Staying current with updates is important to the safety and security of your EV.
A key feature of EVs now compared to earlier generations of electric cars is regenerative braking. Regenerative braking helps your EV recover and store energy during braking or deceleration. It has become a major factor in EV efficiency today and has been steadily improving the EV operation.
Regenerative braking is made possible through driving the electric motor, thereby returning energy back to the battery. When you take your foot off the accelerator, the electric motor works in reverse, generating energy. This converts kinetic energy into electrical energy.
This reclaimed energy is sent back to the battery, which can be used later. It can effectively increase your range without reducing the need to stop at charging stations frequently.
Most EVs today offer several regenerative settings that users can choose. There are several ways you can customize your driving experience with EVs. Low regenerative braking makes your EV behave like a gasoline car. Strong regenerative braking maximizes energy recovery, thereby increasing range.
Maintaining an EV is quite different from an ICE vehicle. Keeping an eye on your battery health and staying diligent with software updates can greatly increase the life of your EV. If you’re looking for more guides on how to maintain your EVs, the experts at Allied Motors can offer you the assistance you need. Talk to our experts now and get tips on how you can maximize the life of your EV!