Sooner or later, we will all have to make the switch. Electric cars are no longer a curiosity and have proved to be more than a fashionable trend. EVs are here to stay. The transition to electrified driving is going to cause some changes to the way both businesses and private drivers own and operate their vehicles.
Switching From The Pump To The Plug
Electric cars are taking over the roads. The infrastructure necessary for charging, like off-road parking in a driveway or garage, is going to become essential. Additionally, to optimise charging speed, a wall box installation is recommended. Without one, charging via a standard three-pin plug could take up to 30 hours for a full charge. It is worth knowing that off-road charging may become an increasingly important factor in determining property prices.
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The UK Government has banned the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Hybrids will disappear from forecourts five years later. For households and for businesses, the infrastructure that makes electrification of the roads possible is going to become massively important. Access to it will become vital. Investing in the necessary charging equipment could be a wise decision for the owners of both residential and commercial property. To get started, you can check more about this on Pumpt.
To get the fastest and most efficient charge, electric car owners will need access to advanced power supply equipment that can recharge them in a reasonable amount of time. Overnight charging is possible for homeowners and at lower rates of electricity too. LV ElectriX has this handy guide on how long it takes to charge an electric car both at home and at public charging stations. They help people lease EVs and install home charging systems and have done a deep dive into charging times for eclectic vehicles.
Braking For The Batteries
Electric vehicles employ innovative electric motors, which operate in two directions. The forward direction drives the wheels to propel the car, while the reverse direction recharges the battery. When you release the accelerator pedal and engage the brake, the motor changes direction and begins to recharge the batteries with the energy from braking. This energy is usually lost when driving through heat and friction on the car’s brake pads, but EVs can use it to fill their own fuel tank. It also reduces brake wear, reducing maintenance costs.
As a result, the car experiences a noticeable deceleration, which varies depending on the programmed settings. Many electric cars allow you to vary this setting yourself, usually with paddles behind the steering wheel. The severity of an EV’s regenerative braking system varies from one manufacturer to another, providing different sensations to the driver.
To maximize the harvesting of lost braking energy, drivers can opt for the maximum regenerative braking setting. This can allow ‘one pedal driving’, where the car begins braking automatically when you lift the accelerator pedal. Though a different experience than driving a fossil-fuelled vehicle, drivers who get used to it prefer it. They can recover over 20% of the energy they use, extending their range without stopping. This also means you need to charge your car with electricity less, helping EVs to make a positive impact on the environment.
Those who prefer a more traditional driving experience without the sensation of the car braking for itself can disable this function. Either way, the car’s brake lights illuminate if the driver or the EV slows the car. Paired with cruise control, a driver can safely remove their feet from both pedals and apply the brake when it is needed. Driver assistance features in some EVs can make driving even easier…
EVs, AIs, And Driver Assistance
As electric vehicles continue to rise in popularity, driving assistance technologies are becoming increasingly advanced. These features can enhance driver safety, comfort, and convenience, making electric cars a more attractive option for many consumers.
One such technology is Lane Departure Warning, which alerts drivers when they unintentionally drift out of their lane. This can be especially useful for tired or distracted drivers, helping to prevent accidents caused by lane drifting. Another feature, Adaptive Cruise Control, uses sensors to detect and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles on the road. This not only reduces the risk of accidents but can also make long journeys more comfortable for drivers.
The most well-known benefit of electric vehicles is, of course, their smaller carbon footprint. The lower operating costs of EVs also help to make them a competitive option to fossil-fuelled cars. Though the initial purchase price may be higher than traditional cars, the reduced cost of electricity compared to petrol and diesel means that owners will save money in the long run. Maintenance costs are also typically lower for electric cars, as they have fewer moving parts and do not require oil changes.
On top of these driving tech advances, battery technology has also taken leaps forward. Electric cars can now travel much further on a single charge, typically 250-300 miles, reducing range anxiety for drivers. Every year the various technologies that make electric cars a reality improve and evolve, creating not just an alternative to driving a fossil-fuelled vehicle but an alternative to driving as we know it.
Let The Tech Take Over
Increasing public support for self-driving cars is helping to pave the way for allowing fully autonomous vehicles on public roads as early as 2025. Autonomous public transport and delivery vehicles may also become a reality, making it feasible to operate a self-driving car without a driver’s license.
Self-driving tech is nothing new. Cruise control is technically a self-driving feature. Tesla is a pioneer in modern self-driving technology, which allows you to plot a destination and take your hands off the wheel. The world’s biggest EV manufacturer also offers features called ‘Enhanced Autopilot’ and ‘Full Self-Driving Capability’ at an additional cost. These optional extras provide drivers access to more advanced features and experimental software updates.
The tech inside electric vehicles makes them an attractive alternative to traditional fossil-fuelled cars. There are many other, less extreme examples of the benefits of driver assistance technology. Full Self-Driving Capability may be a bit too much for some drivers, but features like road signs and traffic light recognition can aid anyone when driving, and sensors on the exterior of the vehicle can let you know when someone is too close or you are straying from your lane.
While self-driving systems that function in town as well as on the motorway are one of the final steps in creating cars that can completely drive themselves, Autosteer is the next new feature which will allow cars to steer themselves on city streets, even if current legislation in many countries won’t allow it yet. These intelligent driving systems will become more common across all manufacturers over the next decade, and all of them will combine to make fully-autonomous vehicles possible.
Transitioning from fossil-fuelled cars to electric vehicles demands a change in the way we think about transport. From installing charging infrastructure to adapting to new driving experiences and technologies, there are many factors to consider when making the switch.
The increasing availability and affordability of electric vehicles, as well as the environmental and cost benefits they offer, is making the switch more attractive and easier for consumers and businesses. Electric cars will soon become the norm, you will be getting behind the wheel of one sooner or later.
