The biggest drawback to owning an electric car is having to get used to and constantly dealing with a more limited range. Unless you’re driving a Lucid Air, your electric car likely drives a shorter distance on a full charge than the average gas-powered car on a full tank. And considering how slowly some EVs charge, that means that you’re likely thinking about range, often.
Related Unfortunately, maximizing EV range in hot weather isn’t as simple as flipping a “hot weather” switch in your car. To get the most range possible, you’ll need to actively make decisions, which may at times be inconvenient. And these decisions start even before you get in the car. Now, this does, of course, work best if your car is fully charged or almost fully charged. If your car is low on range and charging already, it will obviously charge slower as it uses energy to cool your car while regaining energy from charging. But it does still prevent having to blast the A/C when you first step into your car on a 100-degree day.
“Park your EV in the shade to reduce the heat buildup inside your vehicle as it sits unattended,” said Josh Aviv founder and CEO of charging company SparkCharge. “If you can’t find shade, use reflective window covers or sunshade inserts to block those rays from entering your vehicle.”