With an electric car, “fuel” saving is almost even more important than with a combustion engine; after all, you don’t have a tank that can easily cover 1000 kilometers (as is often the case with diesels). No, if you let the electrons flow too generously, you will soon have to go back to the charging station. That costs time and not too little money. So here are some tips on how to teach e-cars to skimp (source: ACE).
1. The size matters: Choose the smallest possible rims Even if some larger rims are stylish in the eyes of some, it can be worthwhile in the long run to opt for smaller wheels. Because even tires one inch smaller can save around one kilowatt hour over a distance of 100 kilometers. In cars with an integrated heat pump, this is enough to warm up the interior with the energy saved. If you use a smaller wheel-tire combination, you save your wallet. Knowing your own car: recuperation When braking with a combustion engine, the kinetic energy is converted into heat that remains unused. E-cars can convert part of the kinetic energy into electricity and thus recover energy. That usually happens if you just take your foot off the accelerator pedal. This so-called recuperation is particularly noticeable in stop-and-go traffic in the city, but also when driving downhill. The strength of the engine braking effect can be adjusted in many cars or even reduced to zero (sailing). Here one speaks of recuperation levels. Since the settings for this differ significantly from vehicle to vehicle, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the functions of your own car and try out the recuperation levels. Recuperation can only be used optimally if you know the correct setting on your own car. 3. Braking properly In modern electric cars, the brakes work in two stages. When you step on the brake pedal, the car is initially only decelerated by means of recuperation. The conventional brake only comes into play if the braking force of the motor that generates electricity during braking is insufficient. This transition cannot usually be felt, but can be read on the display. The trick now is to only step so hard that the wheel brakes do not respond. 4. Use one-pedal driving wisely If the e-car has different levels of recuperation, the most energy can be recovered with the highest. In this case, both acceleration and braking are controlled with the right foot alone. Since the braking action of the engine is particularly strong in so-called one-pedal driving, the deceleration is also clearly noticeable here. This setting can take some getting used to and should be tried out beforehand, but it also saves energy and also reduces brake wear. Heating properly: fewer fans, more seat heating If you want to save energy, you should use it sparingly. But since nobody wants to freeze in winter, it is advisable to use the more fuel-efficient seat and steering wheel heating and less the room air heating.
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