As electric vehicle adoption continues to increase in fleets, many new EV drivers are about to enter their first winter. Fleet managers must ensure those drivers are ready to cope with the impact of plummeting temperatures on battery range. Data from ClearWatt suggests that EV range can be reduced by up to 40% during the winter due to cold temperatures slowing the chemical reactions within the battery, increasing its internal resistance and reducing its efficiency, with vehicle heating systems also draining significant battery power.
“While there are many similarities between EVs and petrol and diesel vehicles, there are specific differences that drivers need to understand,” Graham Hurdle, managing director at E-Training World, comments. “New EV drivers must be made aware that the range they are used to during the summer will decline, and therefore journey planning and driving style will become more important.”
Preheating the vehicle while it is still plugged into the charger ensures drivers begin their journey with a full battery and a warm vehicle. Drivers should be encouraged to use the heated steering wheel and heated seats instead of the heater during their journey, as these operate from the 12V battery and reduce the drain on the main power source.
“EVs can accelerate very rapidly, which can be useful for overtaking, but can also lead to dangerous driving,” continues Graham. “With roads more likely to be wet and icy or snow-covered in winter, avoiding harsh acceleration is even more important. Maintaining a steady speed by looking far ahead, anticipating hazards and making slow adjustments helps improve battery range and reduces the likelihood of a collision.
“Regenerative braking is unique to EVs and enables the vehicle’s kinetic energy to be converted back to electrical energy during braking, deceleration or downhill running. Drivers may have got used to using the benefits of this to improve battery range over the summer. But the B setting may be much more appropriate in the winter months, where stopping distances are likely to be increased due to weather and environmental conditions. The B setting will slow the vehicle much more when drivers take their foot off the accelerator. “
Earlier this year, E-Training World launched two Online Electric Vehicle Driver Training Modules which cover key aspects of safe driving for EVs in all seasons, with tailored content for car and van drivers. Both versions feature high definition video footage and are fully mobile-ready, providing maximum flexibility.
E-Training World is the company that pioneered online driver profiling and training over 2 decades ago. As well as serving some of the largest fleet operators in the UK, they provide branded/white-labelled systems to many of the best-known companies in the fleet sector. These include insurance companies, fleet management specialists, accident management providers, driver training businesses, vehicle rental specialists and other fleet sector suppliers.
