Welcome to the Topic “Tips for Hot Weather EV Driving”
Summer is here, bringing warmer temperatures, more sunshine, and more time spent outdoors. Whether you are planning a road trip or a drive to the nearest beach, your EV can transport you there in an eco-friendly manner.
However, just because you’re on vacation does not excuse you from maintaining your EV. Warmer weather typically necessitates that you pay extra attention to your vehicle to maintain its battery’s health and proper operation. How should you care for your electric vehicle as the temperature rises?
Follow these techniques to preserve the battery life of your EV.
Do not rapid charge while the weather is hot
Under normal conditions, constantly fast-charging your EV’s battery is already detrimental. Increased temperatures caused by increased electrical currents accelerate battery degradation.
The same principle applies to overworking a battery in high temperatures. Combined with the high temperatures induced by the weather, quick charging may cause your EV battery to overheat unnecessarily. Instead, slow charging should be utilized.
Utilize the preconditioning function
The preconditioning button is one of the most convenient features available on all EVs. Preconditioning, a feature that is largely peculiar to EVs, allows you to plan ahead for harsh weather conditions so that your EV will be at the optimal operating temperature when you’re ready to go.
Preconditioning functions by regulating the interior temperature of an EV to appropriate levels, regardless of the outside temperature. Simply input the weather prediction into the mobile app of your vehicle, and it will adjust the interior temperature accordingly. For example, if the weather is forecast to be bitterly cold, preconditioning will warm up the interior of the EV so that when you enter the car, you’re ready to drive. In hot weather, electric vehicles will lower the interior temperature to keep the vehicle cool before a long ride. This helps the vehicle to prepare for weather changes that may be extreme.
When preconditioning an EV, the battery temperature also adapts for any temperature variations. By utilizing this function, your vehicle will maintain optimal performance and battery life regardless of the conditions.
Locate a shady spot for your vehicle
When it’s hot outdoors, one of the best things to do for your EV is to park it under some shade.
When exposed to prolonged heat, electric-powered devices tend to overheat and operate badly, and EV batteries are similar. If you have the option of parking your electric vehicle beneath a tree or in the scorching sun, you should choose the former.
Use less programs when you drive
Have you ever observed that when you open multiple applications on your smartphone, the device becomes hotter and operates more slowly? EV batteries behave identically. The greater the number of background activities running on your EV, the hotter the battery becomes.
It may be prudent to close unimportant external applications when driving in warm weather. Game apps, text messaging, and music streaming services that are running on the software of your EV are just a few of the capabilities that can be disabled to conserve battery life.
Keep the electric vehicle plugged in
EVs are intelligent automobiles. They are able to read the commands you give them, notify you of any problems, and adapt to a variety of scenarios. Their heat management systems are an additional indication of their intelligence.
When an EV is plugged in, these devices are instantly activated to regulate the temperature of the battery utilizing electricity directly from the outlet. This is somewhat distinct from preconditioning. In contrast to preconditioning, thermal management systems are automated and activate whenever it becomes necessary.
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