I’ve been looking into buying an electric car, but the ones that I can afford have a lower range threshold than I would like. Is there a way to increase the range on an electric car?
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
When you buy an electric vehicle, depending on the make and model, it will have a set maximum range based on the size and power of your battery as well as the size and weight of your vehicle. The age of your car’s lithium-ion battery will also impact the range, as rechargeable batteries tend to slowly lose range over time.
While you can’t do anything to increase the range beyond the EPA estimate, there are a few ways you can maximize your car’s range as well as extend the life of your battery.
Utilize regenerative braking whenever possible to recharge the battery
Use heat and AC only when necessary
Smoothly accelerate and decelerate so as not to drain the battery unnecessarily
Charge your battery to optimal levels (about 80%) as fully charging it every night will hurt your battery’s life overall
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