By driving an EV, you’re already saving a bunch of cash compared to running a gas-powered vehicle. Your fuel costs are way lower and maintenance costs are virtually non-existent. But, did you know that there are some other ways you can save even more money?
Squeeze the maximum range out of your EV
The greater the range you can get from your EV, the fewer times you’ll have to charge it during the week. This means you’ll save more on your energy bill.
There’s a load of simple things you can do to increase your range, which we talk about in this article, but as a quick summary, here are some tips for getting more miles from a charge:
- Keep your tires properly inflated, so you’re reducing the tires’ rolling resistance.
- Preheat or pre-cool your car while it’s charging, so this energy comes from the outlet and not the battery.
- Use your heated seats and steering wheel rather than the air heater – then turn them off when you don’t need them anymore.
- Use your eco mode to moderate acceleration, braking, cruising speed and cabin temp.
- Get to grips with regenerative braking and recharge your battery as you decelerate.
Charge at home whenever possible
Charging at home works out way cheaper than using a public station. The good news is that the great majority of EV drivers find that they rarely ever have a need to use a public station, especially now that EV range has increased so much..
Most new EV models can easily get 200 miles of range from a full battery and the average midweek mileage most people clock up is only 60 miles. This means you could drive for two or three days before needing to plug in.
Talk to your utility company about your electricity rates
By doing a bit of research, you’ll find that many utility companies now offer programs like SmartCharge Rewards®, which offer incentives to EV drivers for charging at specific off-peak times. This could be overnight, or in the middle of the day.
Some utility companies even offer “Time-of-use (TOU)” programs with lower electricity rates during off-peak hours to encourage people to move more of their energy usages to these times. As an EV driver, charging your vehicle in off-peak hours (if you’re in one of these programs) will cost you a lot less.
If you do switch your energy plan to a TOU, just remember that although you’ll be getting a much lower rate in the off-peak hours, your peak hour electricity usage will be more expensive. You might want to ask your utility company what plan is best for you.
Just by driving an electric vehicle, you’ll already find that you have more money left in your account at the end of each month. But there’s no harm in saving a little more, right? If you can follow a few of these tips, you’ll have extra bucks to spend on more fun things than your electricity bill!