With the long bank holiday weekend approaching, we know that many drivers are choosing to visit family or make the most with a weekend away. For electric vehicle (EV) drivers, we’ve put together our top tips for charging on a long trip.

Five Tips for Staying Charged

1. Set Up Before You Set Off

The first you want to do is download the charging apps you might need if you do not have them already.

There are a number of different charger providers and each company has its own app or website that you need an account with in order to use the charger. To avoid having to create accounts when you could be charging on the road we recommend downloading and setting up accounts with the main charging providers in the area you are travelling to, especially if they are not the same as at home.

2. Map It Out

If your destination is close to or over the mileage range of your EV then you’ll want to map your route out using Zap Maps or a similar charger mapping service. This will let you plan a charging stop in a convenient location for you.

3. Fully Charge Before You Leave

While it’s not recommended you regularly charge your car to the maximum to preserve the battery we recommend fully charging before you take a long trip. If you have a home charger, then we advise plugging in the night before to fully charge before you set off. If you use public chargers, then we suggest charging the day before after you’ve completed your usual travel or in the morning if you can travel later in the day to avoid depleting the charge with your usual daily use.

4. Keep it Slow

Higher speeds need more power, this means that travelling the same distance in an EV but at higher speeds will use more of the battery power to travel the same distance. This means that the faster you go the smaller your mileage range will become. If you’re mainly travelling on high speed roads then we recommend planning for a charging stop earlier in the journey or travelling a little below the speed limit to maximise your range.

5. Reduce the Heat

To maximise the range on your battery you should reduce the number of ancillary features you are using as these all drain power that could otherwise be used to give you a few extra miles.

Features such as the heating, air conditioning, heated seats, radio, phone charging and ambient lighting are all ones that you can reduce to improve your mileage range.