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10 Ways To Increase Your Electric Vehicle’s Range

vuyi on March 20, 2023

As uneasy as it may be to drive a fuel powered vehicle nearing empty, it is even more worrisome to drive with one eye on the state-of-charge gauge of an electric vehicle; hoping to reach the nearest charging station.

Though some of the latest electric vehicles (EVs), can run for more than 400kms on a single charge, range anxiety remains a common consideration for many owners of electric vehicles. 

Thankfully, it is possible to drive further on one charge and add a few more kilometres to your drive with these easy and realistic adjustments to your driving pattern.

  1. Drive Smoothly

Simply put, ‘driving like you stole it’, drains your EV’s battery at an accelerated rate. As tempting as it is to leverage an EV’s instantaneous torque for quick take offs, it’s more prudent to take it easy when accelerating from a standing start.

2. Slow Down

Try to keep your speed at or under 60km/ph whenever possible. You’ll not only avoid getting a speeding ticket, but you’ll bolster your battery range in the process. Engage the “Eco” mode of your EV for gentler acceleration and general driving. Of course, if you EV has “Sport” mode, you’ll have to keep that switched off until you have recharged and are ready for a more lively drive.

3. Maximize Regenerative Braking

Whenever possible, leverage your EV’s energy-recovering regenerative braking function as you come to a stop, and use the brakes only when necessary. Enable your car’s maximum regenerative setting to send extra power back to the vehicle’s batteries while decelerating.

4. Go Easy On The Heat

Running an EV’s heater, especially at full blast, puts a big drain on battery power. In cooler temperatures, dial down the climate control and rather rely on the heated seats and heated steering wheel (if your vehicle is equipped with these creature comforts) to keep things cozy.

5. Be Cool With The AC

Likewise, operating the air conditioning consumes battery power at a quick rate. Try running only the fan, and not the compressor whenever possible; driving with the windows open is an obvious alternative. Unfortunately, the latter will take a toll on your vehicle’s aerodynamics at higher speeds and, in turn, reduce its operating range slightly. That’s because the more aerodynamic “drag” that’s placed on a vehicle, the more energy it takes to run it, especially at higher speeds. Still, operating the AC at full chill will drain the battery far quicker than will driving with the windows down. Again, pre-cool the car in summer months while it’s charging to help reduce the need to run the AC once you hit the road.

6. Tend To The Tyres

Sources suggest that over 25% of all vehicles on the road have improperly inflated tires. As with a conventional vehicle, driving an EV with under-inflated tyres will not only increase its energy consumption, but can lead to uneven and/or premature tread wear. Check the air pressure frequently using a simple tyre gauge, as it can vary by an average of one PSI (pound per square inch) with every 10-degree (Celsius) change in air temperature. Have the tyres properly inflated according to the PSI recommended by the automaker. This information is usually noted on a sticker that’s affixed to the driver’s side door frame or within the fuel cap.

7. Travel Light

As any automotive engineer will tell you, reducing a vehicle’s weight is the easiest way to boost its efficiency. To that end, get the junk out of the trunk, as carrying an additional 45kg of luggage can increase a vehicle’s energy consumption by 1-2% percent.

8. Keep It Slick

Avoid installing exterior accessories like roof racks and cargo carriers on your EV. Again, the aforementioned aerodynamic drag such items create will cause added energy consumption at higher speeds.

9. Plan A More-Efficient Route

It may take less time to get to a given destination by driving on the highway, but you can help maximize your car’s operating range by opting to choose a route that allows you to drive steadily at lower speeds. Avoid high traffic areas, steep gradients and hilly or mountainous areas whenever possible. If your EV has a navigation system that can suggest energy-efficient routes, be sure to use it.

10. Time Your Charge

You may not want to keep your car plugged into its charger whenever it’s in the garage. That’s because most EV batteries will slowly self-discharge when they’ve finished charging. You may be able to recover a few extra miles of range by timing the charge so the battery pack is at full strength just before you hit the road. This can also be advantageous to the battery’s long-term health.

naamsa Responds To The National Budget Speech

vuyi on February 24, 2023

The auto industry welcomes the balanced pronouncements made by the Minister of Finance, but has expressed concern over the lack of support for New Energy Vehicles.

The Automotive Business Council has welcomed Minister Enoch Godongwana’s highly anticipated budget speech which addressed several important national topics affecting the country today.

As a responsible corporate citizen, the auto sector understands and welcomes the focus given to the energy crisis, tax cuts for households and businesses, increases in various social services, including health, education, and social grants, and the R903 billion earmarked for infrastructure spending.

Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana

As it relates to the automotive industry, naamsa welcomed the announcement of a 25% tax rebate, up to R15,000.00 for residential solar installations and the rebate guarantee scheme for businesses that have been hit hard by ongoing power outages and rising energy costs. This relief bodes well for the energy needs of many local auto specific businesses who are impacted negatively by the systemic energy supply challenges.

However, while the Minister was progressive in his announcements generally, the automotive industry was particularly disappointed that no solid commitment was made on the support programme for the manufacturing of NEVs and NEV components in the country.

The Minister did not provide any policy guarantees for the South African automotive industry’s inevitable transition to New Energy Vehicles notwithstanding South Africa’s commitments to transition and decarbonisation strategies covered by the $8,5 billion allocation. The industry further reiterated that the delays with the promulgation of the NEV White Paper continues to pose as one of its biggest risk towards investment and retention of jobs in many of our local production lines.

As outlined in the recently released naamsa Thought Leadership Paper, the country’s policy makers must demonstrate tangible and deliberate intent to create and stimulate a competitive environment for the NEV market through various government support schemes for NEV production in order for the South African automotive industry to remain globally relevant, competitive and strong.

Audi completes second investment wave into South Africa’s EV charging network

vuyi on February 6, 2023

Audi South Africa, in partnership with Rubicon, has brought 43 additional electric vehicle (EV) charging stations online across the country

Audi has installed 76 fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across South Africa. With the latest addition of chargers, the total number of DC and AC charging connectors contributed by Audi now stands at 127.

These chargers can accommodate a total of 57 EV cars simultaneously, at varying capacities, regardless of model or brand ownership. This is in addition to the brand’s contribution of 70 EV charging connection points nationwide a year ago, when Audi was the first to bring ultra-fast chargers to South Africa.

The latest rollout includes the very first DC 200kW ultra-fast charger in South Africa, which is installed at the largest shopping mall ever built in a single phase – Mall of Africa – enabling compatible cars to ultra-fast charge.

The EV battery of an e-tron GT can be recharged within 15 minutes*. The solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed at Mall of Africa is one of the largest of its kind in the Southern hemisphere, making this installation a progressive statement towards sustainable charging.

EVs are the future of mobility and we’re investing not just in hardware infrastructure, but in making electric mobility simpler and more widely available for South Africans

Sascha Sauer, Head of Audi South Africa

The rest of this second phase of infrastructure investment comprises four 100kW (DC), eight 60kW (DC), five 25kW (DC) and twenty-five 22kW (AC) fast EV charger installations at convenient locations across the country to serve all EV customers. The commissioning of the first and second phase of charging infrastructure means that Audi and partners GridCars and Rubicon, have installed 76 fast and ultra-fast EV chargers across South Africa, representing about 28% of public charging stations in the country.

“The rollout of our second phase of EV charging stations is the next step in realising our vision of sustainable mobility and living our mantra that the ‘Future is an Attitude’,” says Sascha Sauer, Head of Audi South Africa. “EVs are the future of mobility and we’re investing not just in hardware infrastructure, but in making electric mobility simpler and more widely available for South Africans, thus enabling the local EV market to grow. By fulfilling our promise from early 2022, we’re demonstrating our commitment to helping take SA into the future of mobility”.

The partnership between Audi, GridCars and Rubicon includes a roaming agreement, which allows billing cards to be interoperable across the two networks, making charging even easier, seamless and accessible for Audi e-tron customers and users of other EV brands.

Local availability of more and more EVs, coupled with the increase in fossil fuel costs, will be a major catalyst for EV adoption in South Africa

Sascha Sauer, Head of Audi South Africa

Greg Blandford, Director of Rubicon Energy & E-mobility, says that as public interest in EVs grows, so will the drive to integrate charging infrastructure, renewable energy and energy storage systems. “Rubicon is fully immersed and committed to the advancement of renewable energy and deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in South Africa.

With a range between 350 and 480km the Audi e-tron models typically do not require a charge every day

Sascha Sauer, Head of Audi South Africa

The global adoption of artificial intelligence, smart devices, greener technologies and carbon reduction initiatives has highlighted and accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. Local availability of more and more EVs, coupled with the increase in fossil fuel costs, will be a major catalyst for EV adoption in South Africa,” he says.

“While load shedding is a reality to which South Africans have become accustomed, it is worth pointing out that our charging network also capitalises on solar installations, where possible, to keep the charging stations optimally operational,” says Sauer. “With a range between 350 and 480km the Audi e-tron models typically do not require a charge every day, so depending on driving style and daily commuting distances, owners will be able to find their nearest charging station and charge their vehicles regularly, with ease”.

The newly added 43 chargers are spread across the provinces as follows:

Gauteng15
W Cape11
E Cape10
KZN4
Mpumalanga2
Free State1
Total43

All 76 Audi-branded charging stations are part of the charging network that can be accessed here: https://www.chargestations.co.za/oemportal/audi/

Nissan celebrates 35 years of production with custom-built 100% electric LEAF-powered Bluebird

vuyi on January 12, 2022

Press Release: Nissan South Africa

Celebrating 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan has commissioned a very special conversion of the Nissan Bluebird.

Celebrating 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan has commissioned a very special conversion of the Nissan Bluebird – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986.

Called `Newbird’, the one-off project car is powered by the 100% electric drivetrain of a Nissan LEAF, the pioneering mass-market EV that kick-started the global trend towards electrification of mobility.

The `Newbird’ connects 35 years of manufacturing heritage at Sunderland, as Nissan accelerates towards an electrified future through Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term plan to empower mobility and beyond.

Alan Johnson, Vice President, Manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant, said; “The `Newbird’ represents all that is great about our plant – past present and future – as we celebrate 35 years of manufacturing in Sunderland.

“We have a rich heritage of building great cars, right from the original Bluebird model, and our fantastic team is now leading the way as we drive towards an exciting electrified, carbon-neutral, future.”

Nissan `Newbird’: In Detail

The Nissan Bluebird was extensively modified to integrate the LEAF’s electric drivetrain. The original petrol combustion engine and gearbox were removed and a LEAF motor, inverter and 40kWh battery pack installed, with the battery modules split between the engine bay and boot for optimised weight distribution.

Updates and modifications were made to the power steering, braking and heating systems to enable them to be electrically powered. A custom suspension was also installed to support the additional weight from the battery packs.

As a nod to the car’s electric updates, the original Nissan bonnet badge received a LED backlight (for when the vehicle is static).

The car is recharged through the original fuel flap, which provides access to the charging port. The battery can be recharged at up to 6.6kW and the original driver instrument panel has been connected to the EV system to enable the fuel gauge to show the battery state of charge.

Although not homologated, the vehicle’s range from a single charge is estimated at around 130 miles (subject to environmental factors and driving style) with a 0-62mph (0-100kph) time of just under 15 seconds.

For the exterior of the vehicle, Nissan Design Europe, based in London, created a new graphic motif inspired by design cues of 1980s consumer technology, combined with a 21st century aesthetic.

The conversion was project-managed by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles, a family-run company based in Durham, North East England (just 15 miles from the Sunderland plant). Kinghorn EV specialises in the conversion of classic cars to full electric using second-life Nissan LEAF motors, inverters & batteries.

George Kinghorn said, “Electric vehicles are not just the future, they’re the now! Converting older vehicles to electric gives you everyday use of these iconic vintage models, but they’re just as enjoyable to drive, they’re more reliable and importantly don’t produce harmful emissions when driving. With this project, we think we’ve created a car that captures the soul of the Nissan Bluebird, with the heart of a Nissan LEAF.” 

Sunderland Plant was officially opened in September 1986 and has been in operation ever since. Total output from 1986 to the present day stands in excess of 10.5 million cars.

Five Must-Know Electric Vehicle Terms You Need To Know

vuyi on August 2, 2021

With the advent of electric vehicles in the mainstream, and the inevitable rise of EV population on South African roads comes some confusing terminology even the most avid petrolhead might grapple with. 

Vehicle terminology is confusing but lingo used in reference to green mobility is even more so. With the help of Jaguar South Africa, we decipher the seemingly confusing alphabet soup used to describe elements within the world of green mobility and offer some demystification with layman’s explanations of five must-know terms in the EV sphere.

kWh

Forget about what these three letters stand for. Just know that a kWh is a unit of energy and in EVs it’s used to measure the storage capacity of batteries. Think of it as the size of your “fuel tank” in your electric vehicle.

Where an F-PACE SVR uses an 82 litre fuel tank to supply petrol to its V8 Supercharged engine, an all-electric I-PACE gets its energy from a 90kWh battery pack positioned in the floor of the car.

The bigger the number, the more energy an EV can store, and this is an important thing to consider when researching EVs. A smaller battery back will be quicker to charge, but will offer less range, and vice-versa for a larger pack. For reference you could expect an electric motorcycle to have a battery with around 10kWh of capacity, and a long-haul truck (which doesn’t really exist yet) to need a battery size of many hundreds of kWh.

The three letters stand for kilowatt hours, by the way. 

kWh/100km

No, not an algebra equation from an exam you battled in school. kWh/100km is an intimidating string of letters and numbers which is actually just a way of measuring average efficiency just like we do regular petrol and diesel cars.

You’re probably familiar with the term litres per 100km, or l/100km for short, as it’s become a ubiquitous specification offered alongside common specs like power outputs and prices on window stickers of all cars sold today. 

Break down that scary equation and it’s as simple as kilowatt hours used per 100km of distance driven. It’s an ever-changing formula you’ll see displayed in your electric vehicle’s dashboard, and depending on how you drive the number preceding it will decrease when taking it easy and increase with spirited driving.

If we use a Jaguar I-PACE as an example, drivers can expect energy consumption figures ranging from around 16.8kWh per 100km to 32.2kWh/100km. The lower the number, the more efficiently you’re driving. Just like with litres per 100km for petrol and diesel cars.

AC/DC

We’re not talking about the famous rock band here. AC stands for Alternating Current and DC is Direct Current, but don’t get too caught up in the complexities of what that means. As we all get more familiar with electric vehicles, and in turn keeping them charged, these abbreviations will become commonly understood as slow and fast. 

AC chargers are the ‘wall box’ type you’ll have in your garage, and while they’re a bit slower to top up batteries, they’re generally smaller, cheaper and more convenient than their heavy-duty DC counterparts. 

We’re generalising a bit here, but DC chargers are often referred to as ‘rapid chargers’ and resemble traditional forecourt petrol pumps in appearance. You’ll most often find DC chargers in public places such as shopping malls and highway rest stops, where installation costs are more viable and electricity supplies are stronger than what average households can offer. 

The Jaguar Powerway, for instance, features a network of DC rapid chargers along frequently travelled inter-city routes in South Africa such as the N1, N2 and N3 highways.

Charge rates

This one is important, so listen up. Now that we understand AC and DC (hopefully), we’ll need to dig a little deeper into the world of charging rates or charging speeds in other words.

Most common household appliances that run on electricity are either on or off. You flip a switch and your kettle boils, using a steady supply of power as it goes. Recharging EV batteries is a little more complex, as they can accept varying rates of electricity flow – this should help explain why it’s difficult to answer the question “how long does it take to charge?”

Again, we’re generalising a little, but the three-prong wall socket your kettle’s plugged into delivers around 2.3kW of energy, and though an EV like the I-PACE can recharge at this rate it would take quite some time to fill from empty. On the flip side, an I-PACE can accept a maximum charge rate of 100kW, which will equate to much quicker recharging times but requires those big, expensive DC chargers mentioned previously.

Confused yet? Don’t be. In the future you’ll become very familiar with charge rates and how they differ from charging station to charging station, especially in public spaces. Most public chargers along the Jaguar Powerway can supply up to 60kW charge rates, where others from smaller independent providers might offer less.

Also, beware the fantastical claimed charging times dished up by some electric car makers. While it’s possible for some cars to accept incredibly impressive charge rates, it’s difficult to reliably install chargers that can supply this much energy in the real word… for now.

Brake regen

Imagine if your petrol-powered car could coast down a long hill and actually produce fuel as it goes. Well, electric cars can do just that.

Without getting too technical, electric motors like those in EVs can act like generators when run in reverse. Brake regen, or regeneration to be specific, uses the inertia of a moving vehicle to produce electricity when coasting or slowing down, and sends it back to the battery to be used again when accelerating.

In an actual test performed by Jaguar South Africa, an I-PACE returned 91.7kWh of regenerated electricity after driving a distance of 1,000km. In other words, the car’s brake regen system served up a free “tank” of electricity when driven along a 1,000km route with plenty of stopping, starting, cruising and slowing down.

Most EVs, Jaguar I-PACE included, will allow drivers to choose the level of brake regeneration applied while driving. When set to ‘low’ the car will coast freely in a way similar to petrol and diesel cars as we know them, but when set to ‘high’ there’s a strong sense of deceleration when the throttle pedal is released. In most situations it’s actually possible to drive without ever using the brake pedal at all.

Kia reveals its first battery electric vehicle, the EV6

vuyi on March 17, 2021

Kia Corporation has revealed the first images of the exterior and interior design of EV6, its first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV), ahead of the car’s world premiere.

EV6 was designed under the brand’s new design philosophy, ‘Opposites United’, which takes inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity. At the centre of the design philosophy is a new visual identity evoking positive forces and natural energy, with contrasting combinations of sharp stylistic elements and sculptural shapes.

With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design

– Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Centre

Boasting a distinctive crossover-inspired design and based on the brand’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), EV6 is Kia’s first dedicated BEV to be influenced by the new design philosophy, which embodies Kia’s shifting focus towards electrification.

“EV6, as the first dedicated Kia EV, is a showcase of human-centred, progressive design and electrified power. We strongly believe EV6 is a compelling and relevant model for the new EV market,” said Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Centre. “With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design by using a combination of sophisticated, high-tech features on pure and rich volumes while providing a unique space as a futuristic EV.”

EV6 will make its world premiere in March 2021, during a special online event.

Are Green cars safer than ‘normal’ cars?

vuyi on July 3, 2020

Songo Didiza, a true ‘greenie’, entrepreneur and green economy expert is the founder of Green Building Design Group. She is a contributor for Driving In Heels, focusing on green mobility in the motoring sector

This past December holiday I was overjoyed to join my sisters on our annual Ubuntu road trip to the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape. The trip was particularly interesting because some of our party were on Honda sponsored motorcycles whilst others we cocooned in the comfort of the spacious 7 seater Isuzu mu-X. We travelled a distance of over 2000kms of tarmac and rough wild coast terrain which was evenly matched by both the adventure motorcycles and the dynamically powered SUV.

The question that plagued me was ‘would I be able to drive my EV to a destination such as Coffee Bay and back without worrying about my safety?’

– Songo didiza, founder – green building design group

Our drive was pleasantly uneventful, that is until we turned off the highway and headed towards Coffee Bay when driver and riders had to employ some pretty nimble skills in order to manoeuvre between gigantic sized potholes and stray animals. It got me wondering if there were any electric vehicles (EV) on the market that would be up for this challenge? 

As an EV pundit, I must say I had to scratch my head for this one. (In my previous article I had touched on the safety of EVs. This was addressed from a performance perspective. It was clear as the EV technology improves that these cars can also be held to the same performance standards as convention internal combustion engines). The question that plagued me was ‘would I be able to drive my EV to a destination such as Coffee Bay and back without worrying about my safety?’

Before I delve into the safety and durability of EVs we need to understand the different types that are out there on the market. 

There are three main types of electric vehicles (EVs), classed by the degree that electricity is used as their energy source. BEVs, or battery electric vehicles, PHEVs of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles.  

Battery Electric Vehicles, also called BEVs (and more frequently called EVs), are fully electric vehicles with rechargeable batteries and no petrol/diesel engines. Battery electric vehicles store electricity on board with high capacity battery packs. Two of these are currently available in South Africa in the form of the BMWi3, Jaguar I-PACE and the Nissan LEAF. Two of these are suitable for city driving. They are not recommended for long distance drives at the moment ( > 1000 kms).  

Hybrid Electric Vehicles or HEVs, are hybrid vehicles powered by both petrol/diesel and electricity. The electric energy is generated by the car’s own braking system to recharge the battery. This is called ‘regenerative braking’ which is a process where the electric motor helps to slow the vehicle and uses some of the energy normally converted to heat by the brakes. Regular HEVs most commonly use an internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric batteries to power electric motors. Many HEVs reduce idle emissions by shutting down the ICE at idle and restarting it when needed. An HEV gets all its energy from petrol, however, the HEV’s engine is smaller and maybe run at various speeds, providing more efficiency. The Toyota Prius is one of the most commonly available HEVs within the global car market. All Prius’ sold in South Africa are HEVs. 

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles or PHEVs can recharge the battery through both regenerative braking and ‘plugging in’ to an external source of electrical power. PHEVs have batteries that can be recharged by connecting a plug to an electric power source. It shares the characteristics of both conventional hybrid electric vehicles and battery electric vehicles, having an internal combustion engine and batteries for power. 

While ‘standard’ hybrids can (at low speed) go about 1-3 kms before the gasoline engine turns on, PHEV models can go anywhere from 16-64 kms before their petrol/diesel engines provide assistance. Hybrid cars are all the rage these days with every automobile manufacturer moving into the forte to make its mark. Whether you are driving a cost-effective Toyota Prius or a costly BMW i8 these provide the owner with benefits like better fuel efficiency and lower environmental emissions.