electric-vehicle

Electric Vehicle Essentials: How to Take Care of Your Ride

Electric vehicles (EVs) are now seen everywhere in the US. They are rising in number, and it seems that they will be replacing conventional cars soon. This is the truth we are facing and one that might be good for our world.

The rapid rise of EVs might dictate your future automotive purchases. That’s why we must discuss the rise of EVs and how you can maintain them.

The Rise of Electric Vehicles

There is a rise in EVs in the US. This is partly because of global warming and climate change and partially because of the savings they bring.

EV sales have reached an all-time high during the pandemic. In 2020, the market received a 2% increase in sales, equal to about 350,000 EVs being sold to consumers in the country. This is a good increase for such an experimental market like this one, and it’s expected to grow even more prominent as new policies in the country are urging people to purchase EVs.

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The current administration aims to make 50% of all automotive sales come from EVs. The administration is also planning to increase EV charging stations to have one every one hundred miles on every highway. This is a drastic measure to curb the country’s substantial carbon emissions.

So with these policies being implemented, there’s a considerable chance that you’ll be buying an EV in the coming years. However, how do you care for an electric-powered vehicle than a conventional-powered one?

Electric Engines vs. Fuel Engines

Electric engines are a lot different from fuel engines. For starters, EVs utilize a traction battery pack for their fuel needs. Moreover, it doesn’t need liquid fuel to run it. As a result, it doesn’t have fuel-related parts such as fuel pumps and fuel tanks. It also has fewer moving parts than conventional cars, which means fewer fixing certain parts. However, some complications exist in maintaining EVs, and one of them is related to charging.

Charging Essentials

Unlike conventional vehicles, EVs require to be charged before they can run. This is what makes EVs stand out from traditional cars, but the charging process isn’t as simple as you think.

The electric battery is one of the essential parts of your EV, and ruining it can spell expensive maintenance costs for your car. If you don’t want to replace your electric battery very early on, you need to learn some charging essentials.

The first thing you need to learn is never to overcharge your EV. It should stay undercharge (around 80%) than 100% overnight. You can’t fully drain an EV battery because they come with a built-in buffer, so no damage can be caused if you drive your EV to a low battery. However, no buffer will stop your EV from overcharging. This can heat the battery, leading to future complications, so don’t constantly overcharge your EV. It’s good to keep it at around 80% so that this never happens.

Another charging essential you need to learn is to cool down your EV first after a long drive before charging. This is good practice and observed among conventional vehicles as well. This should ensure that your engine isn’t going into overdrive while charging.

Heat Is Your Enemy

Since you’re using lithium batteries for your EV, it might be a bad idea to put them under the sun. This can lead to certain circuitry depreciating faster than usual. It can also damage your car’s battery. So avoid parking your EV under the heat of the sun as much as possible.

Flush Corrosive Materials

Corrosive materials tend to accumulate a lot faster in EVs than conventional vehicles. Therefore, flushing them out every three to five years is essential. Additionally, make sure that you do this with the help of the car’s manufacturer since they know where to store these materials.

Tire Change

Tire change can depend on how much you use your EV. However, since specific EVs are considered high-performance, such as the Tesla Model 3, you’re going to have to do a tire change much earlier, usually about every three years instead of the standard five years.

For high-performance EV trucks such as the Ford F-150 Lightning, then you might have to replace it every two years, especially if you like off-road driving. Therefore, getting the best truck rims and tires for EVs like this is necessary. You should notice a spike in performance when you make this upgrade.

Don’t overlook the tire change of your EV. It’s much more crucial than conventional vehicles because of their high-performing nature.

Final Thoughts

The care you put into your EV can mean the longevity of its lifespan. So make sure to keep it maintained no matter what.