Autumn is known in the Netherlands as the season in which it rains almost every week. However, this is the best season for your electric car when looking at the range. Below you will find everything you need to know about driving and charging in autumn, so that you can get the most out of your electric car.
Why autumn is actually the perfect season for your electric car
During the winter months, we like to have the heater on high in the car. The hot summer months make us long for the air conditioning to keep the car nice and cool. Both options drain the battery of the electric car. In the fall, however, we often do not need a heater or air conditioning, which means the range during the fall months is immediately higher.
But that's not all. The autumn temperatures (especially during the mild Dutch autumn) are ideal for the battery cells in your electric car. They perform optimally at a temperature between 10 and 35 degrees. If it is much colder or much warmer, the battery works much slower, which means that charging and recovering power works much slower. This means that you can always count on a considerably better range in the autumn.
Another thing to know is that the WLTP (the calculated consumption of your EV that is advertised by the car manufacturer) is the consumption without heating or cooling the interior. This means that you will come closest to the WLTP range of your car when driving in the fall.
This is how you can keep your range optimal while driving in the fall
Do you want to actively monitor your car's consumption and see how economical you can really make your car? Then there are a number of tricks you can use and with which you can certainly achieve spectacular scores during the autumn months while driving your electric car. A number of ways to get more out of your range immediately:
- Moderate your speed on the highway. An average speed between 90 and 100 kilometers per hour gives you the lowest consumption.
- Plan your charging stops in advance so that you can charge as much as possible along the route itself without having to deviate far from your actual route.
- Check the tire pressure. Too low tire pressure is disastrous for your range. Too high a range causes excessive wear on the tires. Therefore, check your tire pressure regularly and do this at least every time before you make a long trip.
- Do not turn on the heating when it is not actually necessary.
- Drive with anticipation in mind, so that you have to brake and accelerate as little as possible (hard).
Charging in the fall: what should you pay attention to?
When it comes to charging an electric car, you often come across warnings about the high voltage during charging and the powerful battery packs that can be dangerous. By now, the average owner of an electric car knows better. Although caution is never superfluous, the high-quality charging stations and charging cables are perfectly capable of charging your car safely and optimally, even in a wet season.
Charging stations from renowned brands can in almost all cases simply be mounted on an outside wall, because they are water-resistant. However, that does not necessarily mean that this is also the preferred option. Many consumers and electrical engineers prefer to place the charging stations under a roof with a view to the lifespan and convenience. After all, the fact that the charging station can simply hang in the rain does not mean that you also like to get soaked when connecting the charging cable to your car.
If you want to be sure that you can charge optimally during the fall, there are a number of things you can keep an eye on. First of all, it is undoubtedly best for your idea if the car is dry during charging, so that no water runs along the charging cable. If you have not yet installed a charging station, this is a point to take into account.
Another tip is to always put your charging cables away dry after charging. It is not wise to leave the charging cable in the charging station in the fall (or in other seasons). Therefore, put the charging cable in the trunk of your electric car. That way you know that you can always easily reach the charging cable when you want to charge your EV. There are special bags that you can order for your cable (you can of course also find them on our website).
Haven't ordered a charging station yet?
Have you not yet ordered a charging station and do you want to be sure that you can charge carefree in the autumn and winter months? Then choose a charging station from a renowned brand that you can ideally also place outside. Do you have a canopy, garage or can you make a roof for your charging station? Then that is always a better option, especially when this is not technically required for the charging station itself. It saves you stress and makes it possible to stay dry yourself while connecting and disconnecting the charging cables .
