Fuel-powered motor vehicles are everywhere. Most of them run on petrol or diesel whether for personal or industrial use. Compared to the previous years, there are many more cars on the road now than before. Unfortunately, this long history of utilising fuel to make our lives easier has affected our planet. With the efforts to help the environment, many companies attempted to innovate and offer alternatives. Some of these are vehicles that run on water, biogas, and electricity with the primary purpose of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that create climate impact.

Over the years, these concepts were thoroughly tested to see which one is the most functional and to be produced in the market with a lesser impact on the growing problems of climate change. Thankfully, made possible by our technological advancement, electric vehicles (EVs) are finally ready for the market.

Many resources on the web will tell you the great benefits of owning an EV, and almost all of them will surely mention how energy-efficient EVs are. But have you ever wondered how your electric car battery works or if there are essential things you should know about to better take care of them?

Besides the electric traction motor and the power electronics controller, one of the most critical components of EVs is the battery. Beyond knowing that the electricity stored in the battery pack powers the motor and makes the wheels turn, car owners like you must know the special considerations and the proper way of charging them to better care for the vehicle.

Here are some necessary information and considerations you should know about the energy source of your EV.

Know What Type Of Connectors And Charge Points Your Car Uses

Charging an EV is similar to charging any electronic device – all should use compatible chargers and connectors. The connector type associated with the charge point varies depending on the type of the car and the charge point. Below are the different types of connectors available:

UK three-pin plug

This plug is similar to the Standard UK domestic electricity outlet. It has a power rating of 2.3-3kW AC, typically associated with slow charging units, which approximately provides a car with five miles distance for every 30 minutes of charging time. Charging an EV using this plus usually takes the longest to fully charge the battery, which varies between 10-14 hours. Note that this plus is not ideal to use in prolonged periods, such as fully charging an EV.

Type 1 plug

This plug is uncommon with the latest EVs. It has a power rating of 3-7kW AC, typically found on older models of American and Asian cars. It is only available in a single phase and can provide an approximately 12 miles range for every 30 minutes of charging. This type does not have a locking mechanism when connected to the supply.

Type 2 plug

This plug is the standard European connector type and can charge your car faster as it is compatible with both single and three-phase supplies. The power rating of this plus varies from 3kW with the highest charging power rate of 22 kW at home and up to 43 kW when in public charging stations. It can provide an approximately 75 miles range for every 30 minutes of charging. It comes with a built-in locking mechanism.

CHAdeMO plug

This plug is the older type of rapid charging. It gives a power rating of 50kW DC and should only be used in electric cars with rapid charging like Japanese EV brands. It can provide an approximately 85 miles range for every 30 minutes of charging. This is also very easy to find as it is a common type.

Combined Charging System (CCS) plug

The CSS plug is a versatile rapid charging connector which enables a higher power rating of 50-350kW DC. This is the enhanced version of the Type 2 plug, meaning it has added two pins making it able to support AC and DC charging. It gives an approximate 85 to 200 miles range every 30 minutes of charging.

The rule of thumb when roughly estimating the charging time for electric cars is the higher the kW of the battery, the longer it takes to charge. Aside from the battery size, it also varies depending on the number of miles you do between charges and the power rating of the charger you use. It can take between 30-60 minutes or 8-10 hours.

Keep in mind that when you are on the road, you must plan your journey, so you’ll know when there will be a need to charge. You can use a reliable car charging app where you can see the EV charging stations nearby, as well as benefit from the convenience of having one app for your charging needs.

The Cold Weather And Your EV Battery

Fuel-reliant cars can quickly get winter-grade fuel during the cold season and be on their usual performance during winter. They don’t experience a prolonged time when they gas up, faster fuel consumption due to increased burning of petrol, or significant notable changes in their cars during the cold season.

However, this is not the case for electric vehicle owners. Your EV performance, especially the charging time, can change during this weather. This is due to the fact that when the temperature drops, the charging time increases – making it longer for you to fully charge your vehicle. Also, many EV owners have noticed a reduction in range during this time, setting off range anxiety.

Ideally, EV batteries should be running on 20 to 40 degrees, depending on the model, which can be challenging to achieve in the winter. Having the ideal temperature of your car battery is crucial to getting the most range out of your EV.

Here are some things that you can do to take care of your electric car during the cold season:

Park indoors

It will help you to keep your car’s battery performance at its best if you keep your vehicle in a garage instead of leaving it out in the extreme cold. This will help the battery charge quickly and hold its stored electricity longer.

Don’t wait until 0% before recharging

EV batteries are meant to have enough reserve charge to heat themselves. Practice leaving a healthy charge level above 15-20%, so you have enough room to keep your car performance optimised, especially if you don’t charge at home and always utilise car charging stations.

Don’t abuse your heater

Heaters can drain your EV’s battery faster, affecting your range. Try to consume less electricity by controlling the heating settings.

Drive safely and wisely

Practise driving slowly during snowy weather and using the Eco Mode to reduce the electricity consumption of driving motor and cabin heaters.

Source: Plato Data Intelligence: Platodata.ai