Range is one of the biggest concerns most people have when purchasing an EV.

Deciding which new or used electric vehicle make and model work for your lifestyle is the first step to a cleaner greener you. Once you have your dream EV picked out, it’s important to understand that there are a few factors that can impact the range of your new ride. 

Every manufacturer uses the Worldwide Harmonised Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) to determine levels of pollutants and emissions, fuel consumption, and electrical range in light-duty vehicles. However, for electric vehicles, range can be less depending on a combination of factors.

Outside temperature

Simply put the warmer it is the better the battery will perform. In the fall/winter months, you might notice that you get less energy out of your battery. This coupled with the fact that you will most likely want the interior heat on during these months can also eat away at your battery performance. 

Speed

If you have a need for speed, your battery will feel it. The heavier you are on the accelerator pedal and the faster you go, the more quickly your battery will deplete. Driving your EV at a lower speed saves energy and reduces vehicle drag which means your vehicle travels further on a charge. Driving at 90 kmph compared to 110 kmph can increase your range by up to 25%

Inside the car

Additional power use such as heat and/or air-conditioning will have an affect your EVs range. However, radio, lights and windshield wipers have no noticeable effect on the battery. If you can preheat or cool down your EV while it’s plugged in you will cause less depletion to your battery. 

Terrain

Depending on where you live, terrain can have a big effect on your battery, in particular hills. Inclines, even slight ones, will affect the range of your EV. You can use the regenerative braking to counter this, but overall, hilly roads eat up more battery power than driving on a flat road

Battery age

As with any battery, energy storage in an EV battery does decrease over time. The good news?  Older, used electric vehicles that have covered many kilometeres have been found to carry a similar charge to when they were new with just a few percents less of a range as they get older. 

Acceleration & driving style

Having a lead foot can really impact your vehicle’s efficiency. If you accelerate or brake aggressively, you can really burn out that EV battery. Accelerating slowly and allowng the car to decelerate using the regenerative braking (which will save you on the cost of brake pads) you can increase the range of your EV battery significantly.

Now that you understand how to optimize the range of your future electric vehicle, visit  EVsDirect.com to find the EV that’s perfect for you and your budget.