Use of electric car
Driving an electric car: tips for a successful first journey
17.10.2024
Switching to an electric car brings many benefits, but there are a few things to keep in mind as a newbie e-vehicle owner. Here are the most important tips for getting off to a great start with an electric car.
Key points at a glance
Information helps: Every e-model works differently. It’s worth familiarizing yourself with it in advance so that you can start your first e-ride as relaxed as possible.
Special driving characteristics: Electric cars offer a different driving experience thanks to their low centre of gravity and immediately available power. Try it out and enjoy!
Clever driving style: smooth and anticipatory handling is particularly important in order to maximise range and conserve battery power.
Don’t be afraid of the range: modern electric cars have a long range. The fear that the “juice” will run out during the journey is unfounded.
Different cars: not all electric cars are the same. There are major differences between hybrids, plug-ins and all-electric cars.
It’s hard to get started
First of all, the most important thing: When you first experience an electric car, it’s likely that not everything will go straight away and according to plan. We all know him, the one Electric-car torqueWhere you don’t know where to go and either go to Google or YouTube or call Mobility. How do I remove the cable?How do I see if the car is being charged? How do I start the car? Questions after questions!
New driving experience: instant full power
The first time you get behind the steering wheel of an electric car and press the accelerator, you’ll notice it immediately: What’s going on. One of the biggest differences to an internal combustion engine is that the full power of an electric car is immediately available, which is particularly noticeable when starting and accelerating. These direct power can initially be used for newcomers unfamiliar in the first place. It’s worth getting used to it on a less frequented route to feel safer.
Once you get used to the new driving dynamics, you can quickly enjoy this form of driving. A hard-working e-driver and Mobility customer says: «I do admit that I enjoy accelerating and a good torque surge.” With an electric car, you’re usually much more dynamic than with a combustion engine. The batteries of electric cars are usually built into the floor. As a result, the cars have a very low centre of gravityWhat a special stable handling handling.
New driving style: forward-looking and efficient
Given their instantly available power, electric vehicles are particularly sensitive to abrupt acceleration and braking. A jerky driving style can drastically increase energy consumption while also reducing range. So try to accelerate gently and keep the speed as constant as possible. This not only protects the battery, but also maximizes as well as the increase. Incidentally, this also applies to cars with internal combustion engines. Here you can find outWhat you need to bear in mind when driving in order to make the most of your electric car’s range.
No fear of range
Speaking of range, a frequent Worry among newcomers to electric cars is what is known as “range fear” – the worry that the battery will not reach its destination or the next charge point. This fear has long been unjustified. The Tesla Model 3, which is part of the Mobility portfolio, can easily cover over 350 kilometres, for example. Even the small “VW E-up!“ has already covered around 260 kilometres. Please note: Private individuals in Switzerland on average per day 38 kilometres by car.
If you still need to charge on the go, you can usually rely on the car: Modern e-vehicles have a navigation system, which shows you where the next public Charging point(s) at the end of the year. There are also various Appssuch as major providers eCharge or Swisscharge. And if you want to know the exact details, take a look at the interactive map, which can be found at www.ich-tanke-strom.ch, which is operated jointly by EnergieSchweiz, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and Swisstopo.
The fact that the range of electric cars is insufficient is just one Prejudice towards electromobility. There are other myths that we discuss in our article “If everyone is electric, there is not enough electricity” tidy up.
Mobility helps you
Every manufacturer and every model has its own peculiarities that need to be familiar with. We can help you: Mobility has a range of e-cars and each model draws up specific vehicle manuals (DE, FR and EN). On our website you can find all e-mobility cars and their vehicle information. In the case of e-models, instructions are stored directly below the picture of the car.
You can also access this information on the go. Select your upcoming or ongoing reservation in the Mobility app and click on the info button “About the vehicle”. You can also download the instructions as a PDF before your journey. You will also find laminated instructions in the car (usually in the glove box) that are always to hand.
Electric, hybrid, plug-in: know the differences
And finally, let’s get to some background information. It’s not just the electric car. Instead, there are different types of electric vehicles with different powertrains. Often Abbreviations used. The most important ones in brief:
BEV: (Battery electric vehicles: Sometimes it is also EV talked about. This means all-electric carsWhich run exclusively on electricity. This the kind of electric car that Mobility also relies on.
BEV-REx: (battery electric vehicles with range extender): This is a variant of the all-electric car that is equipped with a Range extender has been ordered. This is a Internal combustion engine, this auxiliary motor only charges the battery and is not directly coupled to the vehicle’s drive.
HEV: (Hybrid Electric Vehicles): These are Hybrid vehicles. They have a much smaller battery that can’t be charged externally. It can only be driven a few kilometres on electricity alone, but the energy-intensive start-up of the electric motor, for example, can be taken over by the other motor.
PHEV: (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles): These vehicles are equipped with a Electric drive as well as with a Internal combustion engine equipment. Compared to conventional hybrids, however, they have a significantly larger battery, which enables a longer electric-only range – but usually no more than 50 kilometres. As the name “plug-in hybrid” suggests, the batteries of these vehicles can be charged at external charging stations.
FCEV: (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles): In such vehicles, the electrical energy is switched off during the journey Hydrogen and Oxygen generated. The major advantage is that there are no emissions other than water vapour. However, as the production of the required fuel cells is very energy-intensive and expensive, there are currently only a few models of car that use this technology.