EV Charging Tips & Best Practices

If you’re thinking about buying an EV or have already made the switch, you’ll know about the benefits that driving an electric car brings. Zero emissions, lower running costs, and simple recharging make your EV experience a breeze.

However, when it comes to charging, there are a few handy tips to consider to get more efficiency and increase the battery health of your electric car. 

Below we explore our top EV charging tips and run through EV charging best practices so you can get the most out of your car. Get in touch with your local Pentagon Group dealership to learn more about electric car charging, or to book a test drive.

Whilst EV ownership is pretty simple, there are a few things that you may not have thought about that you can do for even more convenience.

Check out our top charging tips to make your life easier and hassle-free:

It may sound very simple but the best way to manage your charging schedule is to plan ahead. This is even more important if you don’t have regular access to a charging point.

Utilise off-peak charging to get cheaper rates and work charge times into your routine to make life easier. If you need to charge on the go, search for charge points on your route, so you don’t need to detour for a top-up.

Always plan ahead. Can you recoup charge when you’re out and about, even if it’s only for 30 minutes? Car parks, supermarkets and high streets often have places you can charge your battery.

There are numerous charging networks across the UK, and each has a dedicated app for top-ups and payment. Download these apps before you head out to make charging super simple.

Familiarising yourself with the apps and how to use them will also save you time.

There are also plenty of charging map apps. Download a few of these too just in case and always have a general idea of where you can charge along your journey.

You don’t want to get caught without phone battery when you need to charge your car. Carrying a fully charged portable battery means you’ll always be able to access the charging apps for payment.

This will also mean you won’t use your car’s battery power to charge your device, increasing your range.

Want to avoid queuing for a charging station? Head to your nearest charge point before or after rush hour, as there’ll be fewer drivers around.

You’ll find the charging stations to be much quieter in the early morning or late evening so you can get charged with no hassle.

Signing up to a community-charging platform is an excellent alternative if you don’t have a home charger or can’t get to a public hub.

Apps like Co Charger enable you to use someone else’s wall box for a fee. Just use the app to book yourself in and then leave your car charging through their wall box - it’s that simple!

If you have a home charge point you’d like to rent out, you can sign up and become a charging host.

While it might sound obvious, it’s surprising how many people forget cables when heading to a charge point. Store them in their protective casings and keep them in your boot when needed.

Don’t remove them from your car if it’s not necessary. While some charge points are tethered (have an inbuilt cable) many don’t, so it’s better to be prepared.

Follow our electric car charging best practices to get the most efficiency out of your car and optimise the battery’s health. Of course, it’s not always possible to stick to these, but this guide provides handy tips on extending the life of an EV battery.

Many people ask “should I charge my electric car to 100%?”

Fully charging your battery every so often doesn’t cause an issue. But regularly charging to 100% will affect long-term battery health.

Instead, the best way to extend EV battery life is by depleting it to 20% and then charging it up to 80%.

This is because of the way the battery works. The more charge cycles it goes through, the quicker its capacity drops. So sticking between 20-80% ensures the battery is never fully depleted or fully charged.

Another benefit is that charging from 20% to 80% is much quicker than going to 100%.

While it’s tempting to put your foot down as you have instant torque available, this actually drains the battery faster. To improve range and battery health, drive slower or choose Eco Mode (if you have it) for more efficient driving. In addition, your EV car will utilise regenerative braking at slower speeds, improving range.

Accelerate slowly and take your foot off the pedal when you can. Break well ahead of time so you don’t lose momentum. Doing this when in eco mode will increase driving range, reduce downtime and save you money.

It’s sometimes unavoidable, especially if you’re out and about. But where possible, avoid fast chargers.

This type of charge point runs higher currents through the battery, which can affect battery health. Constant use of rapid chargers depletes overall battery capacity quickly.

These are great when you need to quickly top up in the middle of a journey. But for regular day-to-day charging, you’re better going with a slower option.

If you have time, let your car cool down before plugging it in. When you arrive home or at work, wait between 5 to 10 minutes before you start charging.

This enables optimal capacity when charging, which contributes to better battery health. 

Going on holiday for a few weeks? Don’t leave your battery empty or full, as this can affect its health. Instead, charge it to around 50%.

The longer the car is stored, the more important this is. You can leave it plugged in and set the charge level to reach 50% when necessary.

It’s unusual for the UK to experience extreme weather. But it’s worth noting that very hot and very cold temperatures negatively impact battery performance.

This is due to the battery trying to retain an optimal temperature. So, if it needs to work harder doing so, it depletes the battery quicker and affects overall capacity.

Contact your local Pentagon Group dealership to learn more about electric ownership.