Unfavorable temperature extremes
Five range tips for e-cars in the heat
Temperature extremes have a negative impact on the performance of electric cars. At sub-zero temperatures, for example, the cell chemistry in the power tanks is less lively than at a comfortable temperature, which in turn significantly reduces the range window. The heat that is currently prevailing in many places can also affect the behavior of electric cars, which should also be taken into account on longer journeys. The telematics specialist Geotab has put together five tips that e-car users should heed if they want to avoid large range losses in high heat.
1. Hectic driving behavior
For safety reasons alone, it is advisable to swim as smoothly as possible in traffic instead of constantly accelerating and braking abruptly. Aggressively driving an e-car in extreme heat unnecessarily heats up the battery, which in turn requires additional cooling capacity on hot days. This in turn requires additional energy, which of course costs range.
2. Park in the shade
The choice of parking space also influences the range. If the electric car is parked in the blazing sun, this increases the heat stress for the traction battery, which in turn requires energy-intensive cooling. A place in an underground car park, hall or under a tree, on the other hand, offers a thermally less stressful environment and is always preferable to sunny places with a Stromer.
3. Load the car as little as possible
If the interior of an e-car has overheated in a sunny parking lot, cooling via the air conditioning system will reduce the range when you start driving afterwards. The air conditioning contributes the most to the additional consumption in electric cars. This applies all the more in summer when the outside temperatures are hot and the sun is strong. If you want to reduce this loss of range, ideally switch off the air conditioning or select a moderate, not too low desired temperature. It is also helpful to air-condition the car before setting off if it is still connected to the charging cable. If there are heavy but actually unnecessary things in the trunk, they should be cleared out.
4. Changes in loading process
Basically, users should plan longer and more frequent charging stops on long journeys with electric vehicles in summer. If it is hot, the maximum charging power is usually automatically reduced by the vehicle’s on-board electronics to avoid overloading. Fast charging should be avoided as far as possible anyway. Most batteries achieve their optimum performance when they are about 80 percent full. Therefore, it makes sense not to fully charge the batteries.
5. Plan more precisely
Geotab generally recommends that fleet operators, logisticians and private electric car users take high temperatures into account when planning their routes. Great heat provokes capacity and range losses, which is why tours in summer should be planned differently than under ideal conditions at 21.5 degrees Celsius.
