Thanks to petrol prices sky-rocketing every single day, the demand for an electric car has been growing exponentially the world over. An electric car runs on an electric battery that can be charged relatively easily. This ease of driving, running, and maintaining an electric car make it an attractive buy. With proper care, your electric car and battery can last much longer without needing constant maintenance or replacements.
Here are three tips to care for your electric car so it offers you the best value.
Optimal Charging of Battery
As strange as it sounds, avoid overcharging your electric car battery by charging it at every opportunity. As with most electronics including your laptop, too much electric car charging can actually harm the car. A good rule of thumb is charging an electric car battery to about 80%, instead of a full 100%. Similarly, avoid under-charging too.
Try not to leave the battery with too little or no charge for more than two weeks at a time. One additional thing to keep in mind is to use the quick charge feature some charging stations offer only for special situations. Charging the car battery too quickly can reduce its overall life span. Hence, make sure you use this feature sparingly. For more tips on electric car charging, take a look at the electric car guides at ElectriX — find out more here.
Proper Parking
Electric cars are built to be tough. But there are still ways of ensuring they retain their smooth working condition for much longer. One such way is to park correctly. Park the car in the shade as often as you can, and the battery will last much longer. This not only ensures your car stays cooler overall, but also that the thermal management system of your car won’t respond to the heat and stay running.
The shade will keep the car and thus your battery cooler, and also ensure the charge lasts longer. Also, if you’re charging while the car is parked in the sun, give it more time than you usually would to charge. Heat makes it slower for your car battery to charge.
Regular Maintenance and Checks
As with traditional cars, regular maintenance checks apply to electric cars too. These checks can help you detect potential or existing problems and let you take care of these issues before they make the car unfixable.
Battery Maintenance
Regular battery checks are absolutely key to the proper running of your electric vehicle. Look for certified electric car mechanics that can check battery fluid levels, cycle count, filler openings etc. A small thing you can do yourself to maintain your battery is to not overload your car with plugged in devices that can use up battery charge every time you charge your battery. Getting your battery checked regularly is a small price to pay as opposed to the thousands you need to replace a neglected or faulty car battery.
Motor Maintenance
An electric car motor doesn’t need the same level of attention and care as that of a regular petrol car. In a lot of ways, electric car servicing is easier and quicker since there are fewer components. But good motor maintenance is still necessary and can lengthen the lifespan of the car. Look for a mechanic or garage experienced in servicing an electric car motor and then stay regular with the car servicing.
Coolant System Maintenance
Electric cars usually have specialised cooling or thermal management systems. These systems are designed to help with the battery life span and charge. The cooler you can maintain the car, the lesser the burden of the car battery. The cooling system helps your car stay at an optimal temperature when you’re driving in the sun. A coolant check including coolant or antifreeze flushes is key to helping your car battery last longer.
Brake Maintenance
In general, the brakes in electric cars run for a longer period than regular, petrol cars. Even so, braking can use up a lot of charge of the car battery. So, it’s a good idea to drive at an even, not-too-high speed so that you don’t need to use your brakes often. It can also help to chart out your route before you leave so you know exactly what to expect and where to go. More importantly, make sure your brakes are checked often. Ensure your brakes aren’t seized up, since you’ll only need rear brakes for extreme braking. Also, see that the brake pads of your electric car get replaced and the brake fluid refilled.
You can increase the lifespan of your electric car by following the above tips. An electric car has a huge number of benefits, both for your savings as well as for the environment. So, care for your car properly and it will give back so much more.
