One clear difference between a conventional car using an internal combustion engine versus a pure electric car is the range. A normal automobile can run indefinitely as long as there are gas stations for it to fuel up.
A pure electric car has a shorter range due to its limited charge in the battery bank. As of today, there are not a lot of facilities built to cater for the charging needs of pure electric vehicles.
If you own an electric car, here are 7 tips you can use to extend its mileage on the road:
1) Install a belly pan.
A belly pan beneath the car will allow air to rush straight past instead of getting caught around the gear box, electric motor, brake lines or any other pockets below the car which will create drag. Alternatively, a piece of thick plastic can also be used to cover the entire bottom carriage of the EV.
2) Streamline the front fender.
Make the front fender of your electric car streamline or as smooth as possible. Since the EV has no radiator, it does not need air holes at the front of the car for cooling. Use fiberglass or expanding foams to fill up any unnecessary holes.
3) Cover back wheel arches.
The rear wheel arches have a tendency to create drag on the EV. It is best to cover it with a removable piece of fiberglass that fits flush to the body of the car. The challenge is to make it look sleek and yet functional.
4) Install air guides for the tires.
By installing air guides or diffusers, it will assist in pushing the air around the tire thus reducing air drag. Air guides are small fiberglass triangular block shaped aerodynamically to sit in front of the tire on the body of the car.
5) Lowering your car.
By lowering the suspension of the car, it is capable of reducing air resistance as much as 3%. However, due to the extra weight of the deep cycle battery, you can’t lower your car too much or it will affect the safety of the EV. Lowering of the car will also cause a bumpier ride. Weigh the pros and cons before your do this.
6) Install wheel covers.
Get a wheel cover that is flat of slightly convex disc with no holes to cover the entire wheel of the electric car. It is best to get covers which match the color of the body. The monolithic color will give a “space age” look to your EV.
7) Use low rolling resistance tires.
Low rolling resistance tires have a harder rubber compound. The harder rubber has lower tire rolling resistance therefore increasing the driving mileage. As a cheap alternative, you can always slightly over inflate the tires to achieve the same result.
DIY Electric Car Conversion Guide
Looking for a good guide to convert your conventional car to EV? If you are, check out Gavin Shoebridge’s Electric Conversion Made Electric e-book. The guide comes with step by step instruction with High Definition (HD) videos. Click on the link below for more information.