An electric vehicle's consumption
How does the battery perform in extremely cold weather?
Cold temperatures and electric driving
Like all batteries, those in electric vehicles hold less charge in cold weather than at ambient temperature.
However, Zoe has undergone extreme cold testing in Kiruna, Sweden. It continued to work normally even at -20 °C .
Very low temperatures can sometimes make charging times longer, affect energy storage and the resulting driving range, or increase energy consumption when heating the interior.
However, Zoe has undergone extreme cold testing in Kiruna, Sweden. It continued to work normally even at -20 °C .
Very low temperatures can sometimes make charging times longer, affect energy storage and the resulting driving range, or increase energy consumption when heating the interior.
Will listening to the radio reduce my driving range?
Listening to the radio in your electric car is unlikely to have any noticeable effect on your driving range. The four main factors that are likely to affect your driving range are:
- Route type – If your route is uphill or involves a lot of motorway or dual carriageway then you may see a decrease in driving range.
- Speed – The faster you drive, the more energy the battery needs to provide.
- Use of air conditioning or heating – Using your air conditioning or heating may affect your driving range. Did you know you can pre-condition your Zoe whilst it is on charge to help conserve your batteries energy for range?
- Driving style – Heavy use of the accelerator or brake pedal will consume more energy.
Will my battery discharge if left sitting for a long period of time?
Electric batteries in cars are built with lots of technology to protect their capacity and charge. This means you won’t have to worry about leaving your electric car in an airport car park whilst you go on holiday and you probably won’t notice any real loss of charge even if you were to leave it for a couple of months.
If you are planning to leave your electric car for a long period of time, we would recommend leaving it with between 40-70% charged to ensure it can top up the 12V battery if it starts to run low.
If you are planning to leave your electric car for a long period of time, we would recommend leaving it with between 40-70% charged to ensure it can top up the 12V battery if it starts to run low.
How do traffic jams affect my driving range?
When you start your electric vehicle, you hear and feel nothing. The same goes when you are stuck in a traffic jam.
The electric motor only uses energy when you accelerate. When stationary, the only consumption is from any auxiliaries that are on, such as the heating or air conditioning.
In heavy traffic, you are constantly stopping, starting and decelerating. This is actually good for your electric motors as it recovers energy during deceleration and braking (compared to most diesel or petrol engines).
The electric motor only uses energy when you accelerate. When stationary, the only consumption is from any auxiliaries that are on, such as the heating or air conditioning.
In heavy traffic, you are constantly stopping, starting and decelerating. This is actually good for your electric motors as it recovers energy during deceleration and braking (compared to most diesel or petrol engines).
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