The indecisiveness that comes with getting an electric vehicle is a lot. As much as it’s an excellent choice, there’s a lot of things you have to be educated and briefed on before buying an electric car.
The first thing you need to know is that, battery anxiety exists. It’s even worse when your battery fails you on countless occasions. The question most electric car owners ask is “can you put extra batteries in an electric car?” the reason for this is that, while most electric car batteries actually last long due to improved technology, the chances of your battery dying on you is inevitable. Because of this people are now looking for other alternatives like adding extra batteries to their electric cars.
To answer the question, YES, and NO. It depends mainly on the make and model of electric car you drive.
For instance, it very possible to get extra batteries if you drive a tesla. Tesla company has made that option available for their customers. However, for other types of electric vehicles, you’d be risking your vehicle and jeopardizing your warranty.
IMPORTANT: Ensure that you ask the company where you bought your electric vehicles if extra batteries can be added and the chances of your vehicle surviving the procedure, before going ahead ith whatever plans you have.
It may sound like an easy pizzy, but it’s really not. Adding extra batteries is almost like going for a battery upgrade, which if your familiar with electric cars, you’ll know that the process cost a fortune. At most 45% of getting a new electric car.
Do electric cars have a spare battery?
No, electric cars do not have/ come with a spare battery. Your electric car either comes with its own battery, or the manufacturer leases the car battery to you separately. You can also go further to buy from your preferred manufacturer as the case may be.
This is why you need to take careful consideration when buying an electric car. Although there are good ones out there, there are also EV batteries that do not last long enough as you might think. Ensure that you carry out proper research on the car you want to buy, the charging and discharging of the EV battery, the kind of battery installed in your vehicle and other important things you need to consider.
As for whether your electric cars have a spare battery, I’m sorry they do not.
Can I add an extra battery to my electric car?
It might seem possible when explained theoretically, it is very difficult to carry it out practically. Manufactures are aware of this, which is why they make it the charging limit usually stop at 80% or a few number after, but never 100.
The reason for this is the mechanism behind electric batteries. Just like the way your phone works, over charging and draining the battery till it’s really low or dead, kills the batter capacity of your phone. The same mechanism applies to your electric car batteries.
You will be preinfomed on all these things before charging your battery. For instance, Mercedes B Class has an option that if you press a button you can get a 100% charge instead of an 80% charge the next time you plug in. This is to warn you on what you’re about to go through and cause your battery if you keep on charging your battery to 100%. They make sure to flash this warning each time the option to select 100% charging pops up.
On the other hand, there really may not be a need for extra batteries if you follow all the necessary procedures to protect your electric car battery health.
Buttttt, if you can afford a Tesla, the option for a standby battery id very much available unlike most electric cars today. The only difference you need to know is that it’s for two very different types of batteries. That is, you can’t have the same battery type for your standby battery as the main battery. It cannot be recharged in the same way the main battery is recharges. Also, it cannot be used as a main battery, but it is also much lighter and functions well as a backup.
How do I extend the range on my electric car?
Every electric car diver’s goal is to get maximum miles every time you hit the road. To attain this goal, there are certain things you need to do. They will help extend the range of your car regularly. This ay your car doesn’t die on you in the middles of the road.
Here’s how to extend the range on your electric car;
Drive slowly
I’m sure this is the last thing you want to hear right now. Many of you guys prefer to act the game of “fast and furious whenever you hit the road” but you’re only doing yourself more harm than good. Your driving limit should be at 60 mph. Not only will it help increase your car range, but it will also help in keeping you clear or car accidents and crash.
Reduce your AC usage
As much as everybody hates feeling hot and would love a ride with the AC on, making use of the AC also plays a major role in consuming your electric battery. This is why running the fan instead may be an ideal choice for the ride. In fact, the very best bet you and go for is leaving the windows open for fresh air. Believe it or not, assuming you’re going to drive for a long time and you plan to leave the AC on throughout your entire journey, don’t act surprised when your battery dies in the middle of the road.
Take care of your tires
This may seem weird to you if you don’t drive an electric vehicle, but it is true. Driving an improperly inflated tire affect the range of your electric car. When it comes to electric vehicles, your tires also have its fair share of energy. Which is why if your tires are not inflated, your battery will die faster than usual and will affect your battery health overtime.
What happens when your electric car battery dies?
Research shows that this happens to almost 10 out of 20 people every day. This is where range anxiety comes in because unless you’re close to a charging station or where you can easily charge your car battery, you’ll have to call for the necessary assistance to tow your car and carry it to where it needs to be charged before you can carry on with your activities.
This may be the only reason why several people have not looked into getting an electric car. Because, towing services also comes with a little pay. And what if you don’t have enough money for that?
If your battery dies on you, you would need to call a road side assistance service. Most electric car owners are already signed up with some road side assistance services, that would be ideal if you drive an electric car.
Can you jump start an electric car?
Owning an electric vehicle comes with its perks and vehicles, but jumpstarting your car is definitely not one of them. No you cannot stand by the road side and have a good Samaritan stop by and offer you his battery to start up your engine when your battery dies. Electric cars are not built and wired in that manner. The process of removing and upgrading the original battery takes a lot, how much more jumpstarting your car.
The only option available for you is to contact your road side services to help tow your car. I bet this is one of the reasons why many individuals have not opted for an electric vehicle.
Finally
It may seem like owning an electric vehicle is a lot, but I’d definitely choose one over the normal petroleum cars we have. But of cause, no pressure.
Ensure that you go through your necessary research and don’t forget to ask questions about your battery health if you are buying an electric car.