If electric vehicles are meant to reduce emissions and be better for the environment, is there still a need to drive economically? Yes, because the less energy you use, regardless of the fuel source, the cheaper it will be to run your fleet.
Eco-driving is one of the steps to reducing fleet emissions though it requires an investment in driver training, and a company wide commitment to reducing emissions.
The Golden Rules of eco-driving are driving at a steady pace, anticipating traffic flow and smooth braking. It’s not hard to drive economically, but it’s like meditating, your mind wanders which makes you forget what you were trying to focus on.
With electric vehicles there’s some additional things you can do to reduce the amount of energy used and thanks to technology, the car can manage most of them once you choose the correct settings.
Here’s the top 4 tips from Fleet EV News:
- Use maximum brake regeneration
- Drive in eco-mode
- Use the ‘Driver Only’ climate settings
- Don’t get tempted by the torque
Use maximum brake regeneration
Most EVs will allow you to set the level of regenerative braking. Some will hold the setting in the driver profile, and others will require you to set it for each drive. Using the highest setting of regeneration braking almost eliminates the need to use the brake pedal. It slows the car down from the second you lift your right foot and starts transferring the energy into the battery.
In electric vehicles, the information displayed on the dash goes beyond distance to empty and energy consumption. When driving the Kia Niro EV, I noticed that it calculated how much extra distance was being added every time I slowed down.
Drive in eco-mode
This seems like the obvious one. Though not all fleet drivers are aware of how vehicles adjust the engine and transmission responses based on the drive mode they select. Also, eco-mode sounds boring compared to SPORT which normally turns the instrument cluster red with excitement.
Driver Only climate settings
This is a new feature in electric cars. Air-conditioning drains power in all vehicles. By selecting Driver Only, you minimise the drain on the battery while staying comfortable in any conditions.
When your fleet is driving around town with ample charging options they may forget about this feature. However, if they’re 200km from home, with 210km in range, the drivers will thank you for bringing it to their attention during the new car induction.
Don’t get tempted by the torque
A heavy right foot ruins the economy of any vehicle. With a petrol or diesel engine, the higher the revs, the more fuel you burn. The same principle applies to electric cars as well (except there’s no moving parts).
First time EV drivers are always surprised by the acceleration that comes with the torque from an electric motor. It’s tempting to put that smile on your dial at every set of lights. Doing so will drain the battery and reduce the distance between recharges.
