Before your journey
Know your range
Battery range is how far an electric car can travel when fully charged, under optimum conditions. It can be affected by things like the number of passengers, driving style, weather and types of road or terrain.
Shorter-range electric cars will cover around 100 miles on a single charge, while longer-range vehicles can cover over 250 miles.* Cold weather can reduce range by 5% to 20% for electric cars, and 15% to 25% for petrol and diesel.
Whenever you add things to your car, like luggage or roof boxes, it makes it heavier. The heavier your car is, the more energy it needs to get you from A to B. So if you’re trying to boost your range, make sure you only travel with things you need in the car, like your mobility equipment, which we understand can be heavy.
If you drive locally, this should not have too much of an impact. If you often make long journeys, it’s a good idea to check the range of the car suits your needs first.
In an EV, you can keep an eye on the battery level. Many cars also come with ‘range alerts’. These let you know when your battery is going down. This gives you enough time to find a nearby charging station and top up.
Pre-condition your car
Not many people know about this feature in electric cars. Manufacturers have their own apps, which you can use to pre-heat or pre-cool the car to the exact temperature you like before you get in.
It’ll make your journey more comfortable and prolong the life of the car’s battery. It also saves you clearing ice from your windscreen in the winter and means you will not get into an overheated car in the summer.
And if you do this while your car’s connected to your home chargepoint, you can maximise your range, as the electricity is drawn from the mains, not from the car itself.
Prepare for journeys
If you’re using our new way to help you charge on the go, Motability Go Charge, go to the map in the app. Then you’ll see chargepoints across the UK.
You can also plan your journeys ahead of time so you know where you can stop and charge your car. Zapmap(opens in a new window) will show you 42,000 chargepoints across the UK.
If you cannot have a home chargepoint and you’re using the bp pulse network(opens in a new window), their app will show you 9,000 chargepoints, including 3,000 rapid and ultra-fast. Some of these will give you better charging rates and some are free.
Find the best charging times
Smart charging is a great way to save money. It lets you control when you charge and how much energy goes into your EV, if you're charging at home.
You can set your car to charge automatically at a time that suits you or when there's less demand on the national grid, like at night. Speak to your energy provider for more information.
To get the most out of it, you can even pre-set when you want to go out, so it can fully charge your car for exactly when you need to leave.
Your home chargepoint provider will help you set up your smart charger when they install your chargepoint.
During your journey
Driving style
Since they have a single-gear system, electric cars are very smooth. This makes driving them feel a little different to driving a petrol or diesel car. It can be more relaxing and enjoyable.
When you brake or lift your foot off the accelerator in an electric car the friction is used to generate electricity, which is then put back into the battery. This is known as ‘regenerative braking'.
This feels different to driving a non-electric car and you’ll notice you stop shorter than you’re expecting when you lift off the accelerator.
If you understand how regenerative braking works and how to use it, this will help you get the most out of your electric car. If you use it wisely, it can noticeably help sustain the range of your car.
Check your tyres
When you drive on under-inflated tyres it creates more resistance, so your car uses far more energy to get to your destination. It also damages the tyres.
Try to check your tyre pressure regularly and keep them inflated to the recommended level for your model. Kwik Fit will be happy to check your tyre pressure for you, to make sure you maximise your car’s battery range.
Sign up to our new electric car series
It's our exciting email series for anyone looking to learn more about electric vehicles (EVs). We’ll explain how they work and show you what life with one could look like. You’ll get one email each week, for eight weeks.
Sign up nowWhat you’ll get in our worry‑free package
A brand-new vehicle
It’ll arrive new and adapted, if you need it.
Insurance cover
We’ll arrange this for you. You can add up to three named drivers and can change these at any time.
Breakdown cover
We’ll give you RAC cover, so you can travel with peace of mind.
Servicing and MOT
We’ll cover your regular services and routine repairs, to keep your vehicle running perfectly.
Support with your electric car
We’ll arrange and cover the standard cost of a home chargepoint and its installation, or give you access to the bp pulse network of over 9,000 public chargepoints. This depends on a few things.
