Until charging, stations start popping up everywhere, traveling long distances by electric car, although an awesome experience, can be a challenge. If you are planning a camping trip with your electric vehicle, it may be necessary for you to do some preparation. Here are 6 tips for a trip to an electric vehicle.
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1. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
You may not be able to take your usual route, especially if you don’t want to a sleepover. Make sure that you plan out a route with enough charging sites and that the distance between them is not too long. You can also charge your car overnight at a level-2 charging station if you want to book in at a hotel for a night.
2. Make sure that you have a suitable charge connector
Charging sites are on different networks. With ChargePoint, you can enroll beforehand and receive your activation cards in the mail before you leave. Many charging sites have credit card facilities that you can use instead of activation cards.
When it comes to charging connectors, you can choose between slow chargers, fast chargers, and rapid chargers, depending on what is compatible with your car. Make sure that you have sufficient cable length. If you enrolled for ChargePoint, it would make sense to consider getting a ChargePoint EV charger.
3. Take charging time into account
Even when you are using a rapid charger, the charging time can add a big chunk of time to your trip. It is important to make peace with the fact that you may have to add an hour charging time per every 200 miles you travel, depending on how many miles you get per charge. You may also have to take a longer route because of the availability of charging sites. Opting to take an electric vehicle can cause you to drive a long-distance trip in more than one day, and you have to incorporate this into your planning.
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4. Don’t get lost.
Make sure that you know where you have to go. Before leaving, embed the route into your mind, and use Google Street View to familiar yourself with turns and exits. Don’t rely solely on Apple CarPlay or Google Maps when you are behind the wheel. Driving around, trying to figure out where you are and where you are supposed to be going, can leave you stranded, sometimes a block or two away from a charging site.
5. Avoid range anxiety
This can be difficult, especially if you are an inexperienced electric vehicle driver. The presence and degree of range anxiety depend on your risk tolerance and previous unpleasant experiences. Many people have an “anxiety buffer”. When you still have 50 miles left to travel and your available range is 40 miles, your range anxiety can be made worse by driving uphill for long distances. Range anxiety can be stressful and avoiding it will make your trip more enjoyable. Also, you won’t run the risk of getting stranded next to the road.
6. Be disciplined
Because charging takes a lot of time, it can be easy to get impatient. When you are tired or against time, you may want to increase your speed, especially when your passengers are also putting pressure on you and when other cars are passing you by. Again, planning can make the difference here. When you are prepared to travel for a long time, you can leave earlier.
Driving an electric car is economical and friendly to the environment. Issues with the lack of a charging station will be sorted out in due course. For now, you can enjoy your car, the comfort electric vehicles have to offer, and the scenery.
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