Auto Express – July 30, 2019

20 SpecialIssue http://www.autoexpress.co.uk

Efficientdriving takes on another dimension when it comes

to electric vehicles. We joined IAM Roadsmart to pick up

some toptips on howtotakeyour electric range further

WITHpetrolanddieselpricesshowinglittlesign
ofdropping,manydriversarekeentokeepan
eyeontheircars’fuelgaugesandtripcomputers
toekeeverylastmileoutofagallon.Withalittle
patienceandknowhow,it’snothardtodo,either.
Butwhatifyou’redrivinganelectriccaroraplug-in
hybrid?Inthatcase,everymilereallydoescount,
especiallyifyoudon’thaveahomechargerorare
enteringanareawheretherearerelativelyfewpublic
points.ShouldEVhypermilersemploythesamepractices
asthosedrivingcombustion-enginedcars?Tofindout,
wespentamorningwitheco-drivingenthusiastTim
Shallcross,headoftechnicalpolicyatIAMRoadsmart.
Tim’snumber-onepieceofadviceforanyonelooking
toboosttherangeoftheirEVandincreasetheall-
importantmilesperkWhfigure–theclosestyou’llget
toanequivalenttoMPG–istousethecar’sregenerative
brakingasmuchaspossible.Thatmeanslookingand
thinkingaheadtoallowthesystemtorecoupasmuch
energyasitcan,withoutrelyingonthefrictionbrakes.
Asaresult,ourtestroutewithTimsawusdriveaKia
e-NiroinaloopfromLondon’sWestEnd,throughtothe
NorthCircularinNorthLondonandback.Duringthat
time,weresortedtousingthebrakepedaljusttwice.
Instead,weputtheKia’stwoenergy-recoverysettings
intheirmostaggressivemodes.Oneadjuststhe
regenerationfrompassivelyslowing,theotherchanges
theamountofactivebrakingforce.Thisoffersatotal
ofsixsettings–aroundtwicethatofsomeotherEVs
–whichmakesthesystemrelativelycomplex,but
allowsdriverstosettherightmodefortheroad.
Thee-Niroalsooffers‘onepedaldriving’.To stop,the
drivercomesofftheacceleratorandpullsontheleft-hand
steeringwheelpaddle,whichincreasesthebrake
regenerationusedtoslow,andeventuallystop,thecar.
Thistakesalittlegettingusedto,andislessseamlessthan
thee-PedalsystemintheNissanLeaf,butitallowsyouto
makefulluseoftheregeneration.Shallcrossexplained
thatit’shardtoputafigureontheexactamountofpower
it’spossibletorecoupontheaveragedrive,butaboost
of10percentshouldbepossiblewithcare.Healsosays
thesetechniquescanapplyequallytoaplug-inhybrid,
boostingrangeandsavingfuelatthesametime.
Shallcrossaddedthatbecauseregenerativebraking
usesthemotortoslowthecarratherthanthebrake
pads,makingfulluseofitcanhaveapositiveimpacton
localairpollution.Whileparticulatefiltershelptoreduce
theamountofparticulatematter(PM)fromengines,the
percentageofPMintheairthat’sattributabletobrakes,
tyresandroaddustisactuallyincreasing.Asaside
benefit,brakepadsanddiscswilllastfarlonger.
Shallcrossalsochampionstheuseofcruisecontrol
wheneverpossible,althoughmostadaptivesystems
tendtobrakeandacceleratequitehard.Whentraffic
startstogetheavier,hefavourstakingcontrolbackand
allowingtheregenerativebrakestodotheworkinstead.
Gettingtogripswiththistakespractice.We spenta
greatdealoftimefiguringoutthevarioussettingsafter
reviewingthee-Niro’sinch-thickowner’smanual,

INSIDESTORY

Tackling the motoring issues that matter

Stuart Milne

[email protected]

@stuartjmilne

althoughthiswascertainlyworththeeffort.Inanentirely

unscientifictest,ourroutecoveredatotalof28miles,butthe

estimatedtotalrangedroppedbyjust16miles.Whilesome

ofthatcouldbeaccountedforbythedrivingstyleofthe

e-Niro’sprevioususers,such anincreaseinthenotoriously

congestedstreetsofLondoncertainlybodeswell.

Anotherrange-boostingtipistolimityouruseofthecar’s

air-con,whichisamajorpower-consumer.Asaruleofthumb,

you’rebetteroffopeningthewindowsbelow40mphand

switchingtoair-conabovethat,whenwindresistanceand

aerodynamicscomeintoplay.We leftitswitchedoffuntil

adownpourstartedtofogthewindscreen:asmuchaswe

wantedtoboostourrange,safetytrumpseverythingelse.

Much ofShallcross’sadvicegoesbacktobasics:plan

aheadandanticipate.Evenintheunpredictablestreets

ofthecapital,thisisnotonlypossible,butpractical–you

mightevencallitrelaxing.AndincreasingyourEV’srange

couldmakethedifferencebetweenyouarrivingatyour

destination,orhavingtomakeadetourforaquickcharge.

GREENER

“Regenerativebraking uses

the motortoslowthe car,

so it can have apositive

impact on local air pollution”

TIM SHALLCROSSIAM Roadsmart

””

STOPPEDSome regenerativebraking

systems areable to bring the vehicle

to acomplete halt and keep it there