Driving efficiently can have a far greater impact on your motoring life in an electric car than in a traditional petrol or diesel because it goes beyond the cost of fuel.
Yes, driving more efficiently in any car will mean lower fuel (petrol, diesel or electricity) costs, but in an electric car or van, there is a greater impact on range, or more precisely, the length of time you’ll need to stop to recharge.
Looking at it another way; improve your efficiency by 20% in an electric vehicle (EV) with a battery of 50kW and you could go from 3.0 miles per kWh to 3.6 m/kWh and that would mean your range increases from 150 to 180 miles.
So how do you drive more efficiently in an electric car?
1. Look ahead
Efficient driving is all about keeping your car moving at the most constant speed possible. That means reducing acceleration and braking. In particular reducing the number of times you have to stop your car and move off is particularly helpful as this is when the car uses the most energy.
To do that you need to look ahead and anticipate what’s going to happen.
For instance, is there a green traffic light that’s about to turn red (or vice versa), can you time your arrival at a roundabout so you don’t have to stop or can you maintain enough momentum down a hill to help carry you up the other side?
2. Brake energy regeneration
While observation and anticipation is good for efficiency in any car, electric cars use brake energy regeneration to recharge the battery when the car is slowing.
When you lift off the accelerator the car will slow down via a generator powered by the car’s wheels. Press the brake pedal and initially this will increase the level of power regenerated. Push the brake pedal enough and the car will stop using physical brakes in addition to the generator’s power.
Judge your driving accordingly, reduce sharp braking and you can recapture more electricity while helping to protect wear and tear on the brake pads.
3. One pedal or paddle driving
Some electric cars go one step further and offer what’s referred to as ‘one pedal driving’. And some vehicles even have steering wheel paddle shifters to allow for the selection of varying levels of brake energy regeneration.
When activated, these devices provide maximum regeneration strength when you fully lift off the accelerator or apply the paddle with enough power to eventually bring the car to a stop.
The level or regeneration is modulated by how much you lift off the accelerator or apply the paddle shifter. In theory, you can then drive using only the accelerator or brake with the paddles. It takes some getting used to, but some drivers, particularly those in city driving find it very useful.
If you need to do an emergency stop, the brake pedal still works as normal.
4. Pre-conditioning
The vast majority of EVs offer connected services – linking some of the car’s functions to an app.
Using the app (or the functionality within the car before you get out), pre-conditioning sets the car to warm up and get the battery to maximum efficiency while still plugged in to a charge point. The result is the maximum possible range and efficiency from the very start of your journey. Also, it’s amazing on a hot or cold day, to get into your car at the perfect temperature – no manual defrosting or cooling needed.
5. Satnav and digital maps
Several makes are now linking brake energy regeneration to satellite navigation (satnav) information. Not only will satnav systems offer the option of a most efficient route, but when activated satnavs will allow the car to automatically adjust the level of regeneration depending on the road ahead.
Digital maps linked to vehicles are also becoming increasingly intelligent, for example Google now enables you to select how your vehicle is powered – either EV or fuel – and it will show you the most economical or fastest journey options according to your needs.
So it can always be helpful to use the satnav or a digital map, even if you know where you’re going.
Driving
Charging
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If you'd like to discuss your EV needs in more detail, please get in touch with your Arval Business or Account Manager.
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