Many amongst us aren’t eager about front and rear tire pressure and the gauges that are used to measure it. Under-inflated tires are to be blamed for approximately 3.3 gallons of wasted gasoline every day according to U.S. Department of Energy. Even if your homemade electric car is not using one drop of gasoline, low tire pressure will definitely drain the power from your battery bank much faster.
Tire pressure measuring devices are practical gizmos stand cool for its advantages towards car safety and tires longevity on retaining proper tire pressure. All tire pressure gauges are not however created equal. Do not bet on worn-out public gauge at the gas station which is free to use on giving an accurate reading.
There is another kind that is the sliding-stick “pencil-style” pressure gauge which your father has used and costs little available at your local auto parts store. It is unfortunate to say that several experts are of opinion that the latter lack adequate accuracy and gets increasingly worse over time.
Analog dial gauges can be cumbersome and delicate to rough use but are more accurate. On the other hand digital gauges are easy use, pay themselves in a short time, are accurate and best of all it helps in improving your EV drive mileage and keep your car safe.
Tires lose approximately 1 to 2 pounds of tire pressure which is measured in pounds per square inch (psi) each month naturally according to experts. Effective driving mileage of your electric vehicle (EV) is lowered by around 0.4 percent on each pound falling below the recommended psi.
The rate of power discharged from your battery bank is affected by rise in the tire’s rolling resistance which makes the electric motor use more power to move the car and that is all because of low tire pressure.
How long ago you last checked your tires? Question yourself and do not lie. Three months? Six months? More than six months? Even though an EV runs on electric power, good vehicle mechanical maintenance is required to get the most out of your electric car.
Inefficiency like this can really affect the drive mileage of your EV. By ignoring your tire pressure in comparison to a car with tires that are properly maintained, your battery will only last 30 miles instead of 50 miles before recharging. It is clearly justifiable to purchase a quality digital gauge to maintain your tire pressure.
Keep one digital gauge in your car and target to check car tires at least once a month. Affix a sticker with correct tire pressure of your DIY electric car on the driver’s doorframe. But remember, do not use the “maximum permissible” pressure or the psi number for your EV.
Lastly, check tire pressure before you begin to drive or before driving more than a mile as “cold” tires are used to identify proper tire pressure levels. Bells and whistles of a specific model of most of the digital gauges causes cost to be between $10 and $40.
Backlit screens, LED flashlights and programmable memories that keep your car’s recommended front and rear tire pressures are few features that are handy in digital tire pressure gauges.
Homemade Electric Car Conversion Book
If you are looking for a good Do It Yourself (DIY) electric car conversion book, check out Gavin Shoebridge’s Electric Conversion Made Easy guide.
Gavin is from New Zealand and he has converted his old gas guzzler into a pure electric car in his garage.
Gavin is also well known in the homemade electric car realm. This is because of all the videos he took when he was converting his electric car.