When owning an electric vehicle, your EV battery is a critical component that requires attention when charging because it is the most expensive single piece of any electric vehicle. Similar to other battery-operated devices like your phone or laptop, your charging habits can either strengthen or weaken your battery’s overall performance and health.
When charged correctly, your EV battery can help reduce costs by limiting electricity usage and extending the lifespan of your vehicle. Owners with an environmental focus can also rest easy knowing that less frequent charging also creates a positive impact on the environment. So, here are 5 tips for how to get the most out of charging your EV battery with FlowGo.
Be mindful of your driving habits to conserve battery power. Sharp acceleration and hard braking can drain your battery. Instead, focus on changing speeds gradually and keep alert to traffic conditions to prevent any rapid loss in battery power.
Keep your tires properly inflated. In addition to a smoother ride, it minimizes battery usage. With proper inflation, the batteries don’t need to pump out as much power to compensate for sluggish wheels.
Keep every charge between 20%-80% to ensure proper charging. Overcharging your EV battery can decrease the battery lifespan and cause issues including overheating and fires. Make sure that you are not letting the battery drain completely either. When all power exits the battery it can be harder to refill, causing long-lasting problems that could eventually require a new battery altogether.
FlowGo’s timer functions and mobile app can help prevent your Level 2 EV charger from outputting too much power into your EV. You can also limit how much fast charging you use, opting to power your vehicle slowly for a longer period, reducing the chances of overcharging your EV battery.
Extreme temperatures can also create problems for your EV battery. Driving through a heat wave or in frigid winters will cause unnecessary stress on your battery’s ability to power the vehicle. If possible, try to avoid driving when the weather conditions are severe and keep your EV parked in a garage where it is protected from the elements.
Regulating your cabin temperature is another way of preventing battery loss. Blasting the A/C or heater may be more comfortable, but reducing the temperature settings even by a little bit can leave a noticeable impact on how often you need to charge your battery. Instead, consider rolling down your windows or bringing a sweater for driving.
Excess weight can put pressure on your EV’s performance ability, increasing the amount of electricity the battery needs to output. Lugging around heavy objects too often will gradually cause the overall health of your battery to dwindle.
You can avoid this by removing any unnecessary items from your car that might be overstaying their welcome. Boxes of junk, stacks of books, or heavy tools can also impact your EV’s optimal weight ratio. By cleaning house and removing these items you might be surprised at how much further you can drive on a single charge.
EVs have the unique advantage of utilizing firmware updates. Just like your smartphone or computer, electric vehicles are connected to a network that sends out software updates regularly to optimize performance, add features, and reduce bugs.
Keeping your EV updated is one of the simplest ways of ensuring proper battery health because each patch comes directly from the manufacturer. Their engineering teams spend countless hours analyzing driving data and can pinpoint exactly where to improve the underlying code of an EV to maximize your battery’s charge capacity and driving range.
Maintaining proper EV charge levels is a crucial component of owning an electric vehicle, so it is important to follow a set of habits that can ensure you avoid any mistakes that will create major problems in the future. By following the tips mentioned above, you can ensure that your EV battery will always be properly charged for as long as possible using FlowGo.
