Increasing range: How to cover more kilometres in an electric car

Foot off the gas

Actually, it’s simple: If you want to have the maximum range, you have to save energy.

How does it work? Look ahead when drivingby braking gently and accelerating evenly. This pays off particularly when it comes to electric cars. Aggressive driving puts a strain on the battery, the heart of your vehicle. In what way? Sudden braking and unnecessarily strong acceleration heat up the Battery which in turn means more energy for their Cooling swallowed up.

In our articleDriving an electric car: tips for a successful first journeyYou can find more smart tips if you’re new to using e-vehicles.

Do you know one-pedal driving?

One-pedal driving is the ultimate tip for increase of your e-car maximize. You can use the braking and acceleration process to boost your vehicle’s efficiency and range. The magic word is the recuperation.. With most electric cars, every time into the battery flows when you step off the accelerator. You can take advantage of this with what is known as one-pedal driving. In this riding technique, you control the speed with your right foot using the accelerator pedal alone. When you release the pedal, the car slows down and the recuperation system brakes. At the beginning, the braking force can be surprisingly strong, so a little practice is required. In most electric cars, the recuperation levels can be adjusted in the on-board computer.

One-pedal driving can be selected using the gear lever level “B”. If you select level “D,” the recuperation level of some e-models in the Mobility fleet can also be adjusted using the steering wheel pad. 

“Sail” in eco mode

Most new e-cars are equipped with an eco mode that is specially optimised for maximum efficiency. In eco mode, the engine power is curbed,which means that both the top speed and acceleration are reduced. In addition, the capacity of the air conditioning unit and the heating unit is often shut down. Thanks to this trick, you can increase your range by up to ten percent.

With a little practice, you can also start “sailing” manually: Unlike one-pedal driving, you deactivate recuperation. Instead, you let the car roll freely to Centrifugal energy to be used. This saves energy and increases the range of your vehicle, particularly on steep roads. It may not be possible to deactivate recuperation: In eco mode, some electric cars apply this technology automatically.

Conscious heating and cooling:

Two things that require a car battery have to do with your heat or Feeling cold: air-conditioning and heating capacity. Nobody wants to do without these amenities. The question is how we deal with it so as not to lose too much reach.

• In the Winter it can be worth it to Seat or steering wheel heating instead of the entire vehicle heating system. You can also heat the cabin before you set off. This saves a lot of energy without you having to feel cold.

• In the Summer helps to keep the car in the Shadows to park or switch on the air conditioning unit during charging so that it is cool before you start your journey.

Speaking of which: The story provides interesting facts about using an electric car in summer “Electric cars in the heat: How to stay cool and keep your battery efficient”.

Protect the battery:

How you charge your e-car not only affects the range, but also the service life of the battery. For day-to-day requirements, for example 80% ideal – this protects the battery and prevents loss of capacity in the long term. And it saves time: Charging the last 20% (from 80% to 100%) usually takes about as long as charging the first 80% (from 0% to 80%).