How to Increase Your Electric Car's Range
6 Ways to Increase Your Electric Car's Range & Save £500 a Year
Owning an electric car
offers money-saving benefits. However, knowing how to increase the range of your electric vehicle is crucial to going further and saving more. Up to £500 a year in fact, according to research by Kia and Motiv8,
an automotive training firm.
As part of the study, a group of motorists drove a Kia Niro EV
across a specific route encompassing winding country roads, town driving and motorway driving. Each driver was required to complete the route twice. The first time, they were asked to drive the route in their natural way, recording their efficiency on the Niro EV’s dashboard. The second time, drivers were given advice from expert instructors on how to maximise their efficiency, based on the car’s recordings from the first attempt.
The study found that, on average, drivers increased their electric car range
by up to 33% on the second drive. This was achieved simply by adjusting their driving habits. Based on the current cost of electricity, this increase in efficiency could save these drivers as much as £500 a year.
We want to support you in learning how to get the best range for your electric car.
Which is why we’ve shared the following five main takeaways from the study to help increase your EV’s range and save you money.
1. Ease off the Accelerator
Up to half the energy required to power an electric car
is used on acceleration, so going easy on the accelerator can help increase the range of your electric vehicle.
2. Remove Unnecessary Weight
Drag increases energy consumption, so minimising the drag you generate by removing empty roof boxes or racks will help improve your efficiency. You should also remove any unnecessary clutter in your car.
3. Avoid Stop-start Routes
When it comes to getting the best range from your electric car, it’s always a good idea to avoid traffic. Your Kia’s connected navigation uses live and predictive traffic data to help you choose routes that better avoid congestion, which means better efficiency and journey times.
4. Read the Road Ahead and Use Regenerative Braking
Sudden braking and acceleration can eat into your electric car range.
Anticipate the road ahead of you and ease off the accelerator or brake at roundabouts or lights. This can keep your car rolling enough to help it speed up. Importantly it also helps you make the most out of your Kia’s regenerative braking. Regenerative braking uses deceleration phases to generate energy and charge your battery.
5. Cut your Speed
A straight-forward way to get the longest range for your electric car is by slowing your speed. Put simply, the faster a vehicle goes, the more power is required. Even slowing from 60mph to 50mph can make your electric vehicle
up to 15% more efficient.
6. Plan your Departure with the Kia Connect App
Program the Kia Connect App
to pre-condition your cabin while your Kia is plugged in. This way you avoid having to use energy to bring the cabin to the right temperature after departing.
Discover the Longest-Range Electric Cars from Kia
At Kia, all our electric cars
are designed to deliver top range and charging times. If you’re looking for the best range from your next electric car, explore the three models below:
Kia EV6
As Kia’s generation-defining electric car, the Kia EV6
is built upon a revolutionary platform that delivers exceptional efficiency and class-leading charging speeds.
This sporty crossover boasts our best range yet of up to 328 miles* on one charge.
*The range was determined according to the standardised EU measurement procedure (WLTP). The individual driving style and other factors, such as speed, outside temperature, topography and the use of electricity-consuming devices/units, have an influence on the real-life range and can possibly reduce it.
Kia EV9
The Kia EV9
, our newest, most generation-defining electric car, the Kia EV9, is now available for order. Discover everything the electric SUV can offer you and keep up to date with Kia EV9 news.
When the EV9 won the What Car? Reader Award for best new car in 2023,
the automotive publication highlighted its battery capacity.
“Underneath, the EV9 is closely related to last year’s Car of the Year, the Kia EV6. But while the EV6 uses a 77.4kWh battery, the EV9 gets a larger, 100kWh pack,” wrote What Car?. “When you do need to recharge, the EV9 can accept up to 238kW, meaning a 10-80% top-up need only take a few minutes".
Kia Niro EV
Our all-new electric family SUV
is sure to meet the evolving demands of family life with its 475-litre luggage compartment and pioneering tech capabilities, such as the Vehicle to Load
function.
The multi-award-winning Niro EV
boasts a range of up to 285 miles* between charges. It can be topped up from 10% to 80% in as little as 43 minutes** at many EV charging stations
in the UK and across Europe.
*The range was determined according to the standardised EU measurement procedure (WLTP). The individual driving style and other factors, such as speed, outside temperature, topography and the use of electricity-consuming devices/units, have an influence on the real-life range and can possibly reduce it.
** Actual charging speed and charging time may be influenced by the battery temperature and weather conditions.
Images shown are for illustration purposes only and may not be to full UK specification. Features shown are not standard across the Kia model range and availability will vary dependant on model. For further details please refer to the individual model specification sheets.
*Fuel economy and emissions: driving range standards are calculated using the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP).
**There are certain situations in which the petrol engine will automatically activate even when the vehicle is in EV mode. Examples could include: when the hybrid battery state of charge is reduced to a certain level, when acceleration demand is high and/or when it is required to heat up the cabin.
*** Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA)
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) is an assistance system and does not relieve the driver from their responsibility to safely operate the vehicle at any time. The driver still has to adapt their driving behaviour to their personal driving capabilities, to the legal requirements and to the overall road and traffic conditions. FCA is not designed to drive the vehicle autonomously. For further information, please refer to the owner’s manual.