Before your journey
Know your range
Battery range is how far an electric car can travel when fully charged, under optimum conditions. It can be affected by things like the number of passengers, driving style, weather and types of road or terrain.
Pre-condition your car
You can use an app to pre-condition the temperature of the car while it’s connected to your chargepoint at home, so it’s ready when you get in. This means you will not use the car's battery to get the temperature right.
Prepare for journeys
Plan your journeys ahead of time so you know where you can stop and charge your car. Zapmap(opens in a new window) will show you 42,000 chargepoints across the UK.
If you cannot have a home chargepoint and you’re using the bp pulse network(opens in a new window), their app will show you 9,000 chargepoints, including 3,000 rapid and ultra-fast. Some of these will give you better charging rates and some are free.
Find the best charging times
Smart charging is a safe and convenient way of charging an electric car when demand for electricity is lower, such as at night. Speak to your energy provider for more information.
During your journey
Driving style
When you brake or lift your foot off the accelerator in an electric car the friction is used to generate electricity, which is then put back into the battery. This is known as ‘regenerative braking'.
This feels different to driving a non-electric car and you’ll notice you stop shorter than you’re expecting when you lift off the accelerator.
If you understand how regenerative braking works and how to use it, this will help you get the most out of your electric car. If you use it wisely, it can noticeably help sustain the range of your car.
Check your tyres
Under-inflated tyres will increase the amount of energy your car uses. Kwik Fit will be happy to check your tyre pressure for you, to make sure you maximise your car’s battery range.
Sign up to our new electric car series
It's our exciting email series for anyone looking to learn more about electric vehicles (EVs). We’ll explain how they work and show you what life with one could look like. You’ll get one email each week, for eight weeks.
Sign up nowWhat you’ll get in our worry‑free package
A brand-new vehicle
It’ll arrive new and adapted, if you need it.
Insurance cover
We’ll arrange this for you. You can add up to three named drivers and can change these at any time.
Breakdown cover
We’ll give you RAC cover, so you can travel with peace of mind.
Servicing and MOT
We’ll cover your regular services and routine repairs, to keep your vehicle running perfectly.
Support with your electric car
We’ll arrange and cover the standard cost of a home chargepoint and its installation, or give you access to the bp pulse network of over 9,000 public chargepoints. This depends on a few things.
