Tips for First Time EV Owners

The most important thing to have an understanding of when it comes to owning an electric vehicle is the battery. Electric vehicle batteries are similar to the battery in your smartphone in a lot of ways, just on a much larger scale. Just like the battery in your smartphone, the better condition it’s in, the better it will perform. Therefore, it’s important to take good care of your EV’s battery. To avoid early deterioration of the battery, you should make a habit of not giving it a 100% charge every time you plug it in, as overcharging can harm the cells and reduce its range over time. Experienced EV owners will often recommend allowing the battery to get down to 10 to 20% before plugging it in. Then, allow the battery to charge to around 80%, which will provide enough range for everyday driving. However, if you need some additional driving range for a longer commute, adding some extra charge to the 80% every now and then won’t cause much harm. Another way to increase your battery’s range is to not overload your vehicle with cargo. Just like a gas-powered car, the more weight your vehicle takes on, the more power it takes to keep it moving. As often as possible, try to keep your car free of unnecessary cargo. 

There truly is an app for everything. EV owners have a wide range of smartphone applications to choose from to make EV ownership easier. While many EV apps offer similar benefits, many have different specialties, features, and uses. Therefore, it won’t hurt to download more than one EV app. Of course, the first app you should download is the one provided by your vehicle’s manufacturer, like the Jeep Uconnect app. This will link with your EV and show you detailed information about the battery's charge, range, and more right on your smartphone. Other apps have different purposes. Apps like EVGo, ChargePoint, ChargeHub, and others will display nearby charging stations in either a list or map format. Many of these apps allow you to filter results. There are also apps that can show you charging stations near businesses and even hotels so that you can charge your vehicle while you shop or rest while traveling. 

Becoming an EV owner is to become a part of a community. Many EV owners are happy to help new EV owners gain knowledge and better understand EV ownership and culture. This is why there is a huge selection of online EV forums and groups. These are helpful for EV owners of all experience levels, but especially for new ones. This is because it gives new owners direct access to owners who have the answer to any questions that may arise. Many vehicles have a forum dedicated to the specific make and model, which is a great way to gain knowledge of your exact EV. Or, if you’re looking for more general information about electric vehicles, there are many broad forums not specific to any vehicle or manufacturer. Doing a quick internet search can get you well on your way to finding the online community you need to become an expert EV owner.

Electric vehicle or not, planning a road trip is important. However, when road-tripping with an EV, it is important to plan your route based on where you can get a charge. This will allow you to enjoy the trip without encountering range anxiety. Across the United States, there are more than 56,000 EV charging stations providing over 148,000 charging ports. Georgia alone has nearly 1,400 charging stations. With more stations being installed at a fast rate, range anxiety is becoming less of an issue for EV drivers. When you are planning a road trip, apps like Google Maps, WattsUp, Zap-Map, and PlugShare will help find charging stations along your route. 

The popularity of electric vehicles is on the rise, so it’s important to expand our understanding of them. We hope that this page has helped you better prepare for EV ownership. Here at Akins Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, we’re proud to offer the latest PHEVs from Jeep, including the Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe. With the plans that Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ram have for an all-electric future, we’re excited to share the upcoming models with you. For now, head over to our new inventory to shop the PHEV models currently available. Or, visit our showroom to take one for a test drive. We look forward to working with you!