Range anxiety: the fear of not reaching your final destination. As a brand new owner of an electric car you will most likely not be able to escape it. While we can easily cover 500 kilometers with fuel cars and drive on after refueling for a few minutes, it’s a bit different with electric cars. The range differs per car, different factors influence the range and recharging takes longer than an old-fashioned refueling. Do you feel range anxiety coming on when you have to make a long drive, for example when you take your electric car on vacation? Or do you even get the jitters even though you do not yet own an electric car? We give you 5 tips to combat range anxiety so you can hit the road without worry.
Know the range of your car
With your electric car you want to drive as many kilometers as possible. How many kilometers that is depends on the range of your car. The range can vary considerably per brand and model of electric car. There are cars with a range of 90 kilometers, but this can be up to 500 kilometers. If you want to prevent range anxiety, it is important to check and remember what the range of your electric car is. This way you can keep track of exactly which trips you can make with your EV.
Take into account factors that affect range
From a fuel car we are already used to the fact that weather conditions and driving style influence the consumption. It is the same with an electric car. Do you drive almost exclusively on the highway? Then this will cost your electric car more energy, reducing the range. The seasons also influence the energy consumption of your EV. Especially in winter, when the car needs to be constantly heated, you have to take a reduced range into account. In summer optimal driving conditions apply, but the use of air conditioning has some negative influence on the range.
Set out with a full battery whenever possible
It may seem obvious, but a full battery is of course the best solution to range anxiety. Having your own charging station at home is therefore ideal if you suffer from charging stress. You always have a place where you can be sure that you can charge. In addition, you can hit the road every day with a full battery and drive as many carefree kilometers as possible.
Drive as consistently as possible and take quiet routes
As you can read in tip #2, the faster you drive electric cars, the fewer miles you can cover. Therefore, choose quiet routes. For example, see how much distance it saves to avoid the freeway to your work. If possible, also try to avoid traffic lights and busy traffic areas. Constant driving is the most beneficial for the range of your electric car.
Know where to load or use Plugz to reserve upfront.
No matter what you do to reduce range anxiety and optimize your driving range, you will still need to charge. When the light comes on that the battery is getting empty, the nerves often start to play a role. Therefore, keep a close eye on where on your route you can charge your car. Don’t take any risks and don’t go out in the middle of the rush hour with an almost empty battery. Signal in time that your car needs power and drive to the nearest charging point. Or, even better: charge your car before you leave. More and more companies have a company charging station that you can use. with Plugz.
