Do you charge your phone every day? Most people do, but electric vehicles aren't exactly the same as smartphones.
With the huge growth of the electric car market in the past few years, there are many questions on people's lips about how to look after an EV.
How do the long-term costs of running a fuel car vs. an electric car stack up?
What happens when the charge runs out in an electric vehicle?
And so on, and so on...
Today we're going to look at how often you need to charge your EV.
How many miles can an EV go on a single charge?
Most electric vehicles can do more than 200 miles on one charge. For reference, the average petrol car can do between 300-500 miles. Each year we are seeing improvements in the real range of EVs and the 300-mile target will become the average very soon.
Even with the 200-mile range, EVs are suitable for the average driver which means you wouldn't need to charge your vehicle every day.
What happens if your EV runs out of charge?
The charging infrastructure in the UK needs improvement, but it is constantly growing with the help of companies like Charge And Recharge.
This means you don't have to worry about running out of charge. EVs have several fail safes before your vehicle comes to a complete stop:
Can charging everyday damage the battery?
Yes, the lifespan of your EV's battery pack can be hindered by charging every day.
Most manufacturers recommend your EV stays within the 20-80% charge range (always refer to your user manual for specific models). Keeping your battery at exceedingly high or low levels creates stress in an EV battery, meaning its lifespan will be shortened.
Certain EVs have internal protective systems to manage battery levels in order to prevent this damage from occurring, such as shutting off the charger once it reaches a certain level.
This doesn't mean you can never charge your EV fully; simply charge your EV appropriately for the range you require.
In conclusion, don't charge your EV to the maximum every day!