Getting ready for a road trip takes careful planning to make sure that you can get the most out of it. Having the route planned and the car inspected is essential to not have any surprises that would throw a spanner in the works.
A road trip in an electric car is a slightly bigger challenge since the cars are a bit different than a traditional one. There is more that goes into the planning stage that can make the difference between an epic road trip and a real downer.
If you plan on driving your electric car in a future road trip, you’ll need to make sure you have an adapter to charge it. There are many types of adapters and they all work differently. You’ll need to find one that fits your electric car and plugs into the outlet in your car. There are several different types of electric car charger adapters available, so you’re sure to find one that works with your electric car.
In this article, we will go over what it takes to plan a road trip in an electric vehicle.
Figure out the actual range
Many electric vehicle drivers suffer from range anxiety for no reason. The range of an electric vehicle is almost always more than what is actually needed for most types of trips. Electric cars with the longest range can get up to around 250 to 300 miles on a full charge.
This is generally more than you will likely be driving in one day. However, the actual range is a different story. That range is the maximum that you’ll likely get. There are factors that will lower that number. Knowing the actual number is important to be able to plan your route out better.
Take the car out and keep track of how many miles you actually are getting in the conditions that you expect to see on the road trip. That’s the number you should focus on and not the range advertised.
Max out the range
There are things that you can do and things to avoid to make sure you are getting the max out of the range the car is capable of. For instance, if you are taking a road trip in the summer, avoid using the air conditioner. This is going to reduce the range you can get very dramatically. If you do plan to use the A/C then you will have to factor in the reduced range when you are planning out the route.
Other things like low tyre pressure will also have an impact on the range so make sure that your pressure is correct to not tax the batteries needlessly. Low tyre pressure makes the car work harder to maintain speed which sips more battery.
Plan lots of breaks
Part of the thrill of a road trip is the new discoveries you will make. Yet, it takes stopping once in a while to make those discoveries.
Plan out the route according to where you’ll find charging stations. Then, take a break and plugin so you can explore the area nearby the column. You could end up finding a quaint park to relax in, a quirky museum, or a cozy cafe.
Remember that you don’t need to have a full charge to get moving again so a couple of hours in one spot while you explore should be enough to juice up the battery to get you on your way again.
Leave a Reply