The biggest factor when it comes to an electric vehicle (EV) range is always its battery capacity.

Electric car batteries are measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh), so the larger the number of kWh in an EV battery, the more electricity it can store and the longer it can power the electric motor. 

While there will always be a limit to the number of miles that an EV can be driven between charges, based on its specific battery capacity, there are some ways to optimise the range so that electric car drivers can get the best possible distance between charges.

In this guide, we look at how to improve electric car range through efficient driving and some straightforward EV maintenance tasks.

Maximise EV range through your driving style

Some of the ways you can optimise your electric car range through the way you drive include:

Steady acceleration

Many drivers find the ability of EVs to accelerate quickly an exhilarating experience the first time they drive them, as it can feel quite different to driving off in a petrol or diesel vehicle due to the instant torque. But accelerating quickly does use more energy than gently driving away, so keeping acceleration steady is better for maximising an EV’s range.

The most efficient speed for electric cars

If you’ve driven petrol or diesel cars in the past, you may know that they generally have an optimal speed for efficiency to help save on fuel, which can be anywhere between 45-60 mph, depending on the car. With electric cars, the faster they go, the more energy they use. The most efficient speed for an electric car is generally below 10 mph, but that speed is neither practical nor safe for most journeys. It does highlight why EVs are so efficient when driving through a city! 

When driving an EV, instead of trying to reach a certain optimal speed, to improve efficiency, keep your speed as constant as possible, avoiding frequently accelerating or braking.

Utilising regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is a useful EV feature where  the car starts to slow down as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, so you need to use the brakes far less often in everyday driving. It also harvests energy to feed back into the battery, so there’s the double benefit of better efficiency and less wear and tear on your brakes.

In order to use regenerative braking effectively, you need to leave enough space between you and the car in front so that you will slow down in time without  using the brakes. It may mean that you have to alter the way you drive slightly to maximise the charging through regenerative braking

Driving without using climate controls when possible

There are times when driving with heating or air conditioning is absolutely essential to your comfort and safety. But whenever possible, turning them down or off, and leaving energy-consuming features such as heated seats switched off can all contribute to helping your electric car run more efficiently, thereby maximising its range. 

Plan an efficient route for your journeys

Most people plan their electric car journeys to pass locations where public EV charging stations are available or just go for the most direct route if they don’t need to charge along the way. However, if efficiency is your ultimate goal, over the time it takes to get there, there are other considerations to keep in mind when driving an EV. 

For example, motorway driving, at speeds of around 70mph, isn’t a good way to maximise your EV’s range. You could instead choose to drive part of the journey on an alternative route at a lower speed to optimise your car’s efficiency. 

Another example is navigating hilly routes. as EVs tend not to be as efficient when climbing hilly roads as they are on flatter ones. It’s not always an option to avoid hills entirely, and choosing another route avoiding hills may not be available or may be longer and hence less efficient. Don’t forget what goes up must come down, so while the car will use more energy going up hills, it can also regain more through regenerative braking when going down.

While maximising the range of your electric car can help you save some money on charging, and lots of EV drivers find it to be a fun challenge, it’s always worth balancing this with making sure you are driving in a way that feels comfortable to you.