First of all, congratulations on joining the growing family of electric vehicles owners and for taking that conscious decision to beat the rising fuel prices!! And the timing of your purchase of your EV couldn’t have come at a better time than now. With the holiday season fast approaching, it is that time of the year when one heads off on long trips celebrating the holiday season of Christmas and ushering in the New Year. Seasoned travelers will agree that the best way is to be on your own, with your car. If the trip is spontaneous, it can be all the more fun. But if you own an EV (Electric Vehicle) and if this is the first time you are venturing out on a long trip, we have a few tips for you to make your driving and travel rewarding and pleasurable. Read on to know more. 

Know your car’s battery range: 

The start point to an enjoyable trip is to know how many kilometers your EV can travel with a single full charge. The exact details will be available in the owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website. This vital piece of information is crucial to plan your stops to charge your EV and avoid the car getting stranded in the middle of nowhere. 

Map out your stops: 

Before hitting the road running, do a little research on the best and economical route to your destination. The main focus of this research/planning should be on charging stations along with your drive route factoring in your car battery’s capacity. And if you find an eatery equipped with a charging station, noting can be more satisfying than this. Get an updated list of charging stations across India at www.evplugs.co.in 

Carry an earthing kit: 

Investing in an earthing kit is a worthwhile investment, especially if you are driving long distances because it is imperative that EV owners can charge their vehicles at any given point in time. Most highway charging stations or stations at restaurants/hotels do not have proper earthing and charging the vehicle without an earthing can cause damage to your vehicle. Earthing kits protect from unexpected spikes in electricity. Typically, an earthing kit consists of an iron road that is pitched in the ground with a connection to it that can be plugged into your charging cord. 

Keep a handy list of mechanics en-route: 

Today it is never difficult anything you want over the Internet. Be it an EV or a traditional car, it is always good to have a ready-reckoner list of mechanics along your driving route. Try to make a list of mechanics every 30-40 kilometers to shout out to for quick help in case of an emergency. If you have friends who have frequented the route, get some info from them too.

Travel light: 

Loading an EV with too many things puts additional strain on the car and in turn the battery. Global estimates indicate that less load on the car increases the efficiency of the EV by 1-2%.   

Drive consciously: 

Last but not the least, needless to say, mindful driving can not only make your road trip more enjoyable but also save battery life for longer hauls. As much as possible try to drive at a maximum speed limit of 60 km/hr. This enhances battery life and duration saving you precious charge. Avoid hard braking as this consumes more battery power. Sensible driving is when you feel the need to apply brakes, let go of your foot from the accelerator a few meters before the desired slow down or stopping point. 

Electric is clearly the way forward and is here to stay. Together with the growth in the sales of EVs charging stations are also racing fast. It's just a matter of time before you find charging stations and other support services in every nook and corner.