#Maximize chevy volt range drivers
#Maximize chevy volt range full

If you are on a long journey and need to squeeze every mile out of your battery range between charges, limiting the heater will help. It takes a lot of energy to heat the air in a car. While a combustion engine produced a huge amount of waste heat, in an EV your onboard heating systems will have to do all the work. It’s worth noting that EVs get better traction on icy roads anyway, thanks to the placement of batteries, which lower the centre of gravity and add extra stability. As eco mode also limits energy-consuming features like the heating system, you might be more comfortable switching modes after you get off the slippy, untreated roads. That’s why it’s a good idea to switch to eco mode whenever driving when t here’s ice or snow on the roads. The benefit of using the eco mode in the winter is that by reducing the power to the motor, the car accelerates less, and helps to reduce the possibility of wheel spin. Eco driving modes are lower torque, making them the perfect choice for snowy or icy roads An eco mode reduces the amount of power supplied to the drive motor. Most EVs have a driving option called “eco mode” or something very similar. For more efficient driving and charging tips, check out our money-saving tips with an EV.

#Maximize chevy volt range full

You won’t get much regenerative brake power from a completely full battery, either. The problem is that when the battery is very cold the regenerative braking system is less effective – cold batteries can’t accept as much surplus energy as warm batteries can. Regenerative braking helps you stay on the road when there is snow and ice In fact, regenerative braking is said to be even better than ABS braking technology at keeping you on the road. If the roads are icy first thing, regenerative braking modes will help you avoid skids and slides. Make use of regenerative braking in the cold A battery warms as it charges, giving you more available range for your day than a battery that has filled and then got cold.Ī warm battery also means that your regenerative braking will also work better from the start, which leads us to top tip number three. Time your charge to warm your batteryįor maximum efficiency, try to time your overnight charge to finish close to the time as you leave in the morning as possible. Just make sure the car is plugged in while you precondition, because you want to draw energy from the grid to do this, not drain down your battery. You can set the prewarming to begin at a set time every day so that your electric car is ready when you leave in the morning. Winter isn’t all bad for an EV driver!Īs well as comfort for you, the preheat function means the battery can be ready to move the vehicle more efficiently too. Prewarming means you can jump into a warm car without doing any early morning windscreen scraping or that familiar chilly first mile in your old car. Prewarming or preconditioning settings on your car allow you to heat the battery and cabin while you are still plugged in at home. Prewarm your EV Time your charge and set pre-warming to make sure your battery and car start warm If this is your first winter in an EV, there are many actions that you can take to maximize your comfort and range when the temperatures dip. How much range you lose in the cold depends on: the car you drive, how you drive it, how you heat it, how cold it is outside, where you park, and so on. The good news is that there are quite a few things you can do to improve your range and stay comfortable through the cold months. But the bigger drain on your car’s battery comes from keeping you warm. Range drops in winter because an EV battery is more efficient when warm – you can expect a 12% reduction in range just because it’s cold. Yet lower efficiency, and therefore lower range, becomes much more obvious to an electric car driver. Over very short trips in cold weather your petrol could have used a quarter more fuel. You may never have noticed, but the efficiency of a petrol car also drops in winter.

#Maximize chevy volt range drivers

For most of the year, EV drivers can expect to exceed their car’s real-world range, but as temperatures start to fall, you will notice that you get fewer miles on your dashboard display after your normal charge.