T3 - UK (2021-07)

24 T 3 JULY 2021

Horizon

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ILLUSTRA

TI

ONS:

STEPHE

N
KE

LL

Y

A

Presently, battery upgrades

for EVs are either visions of

a future in which we can

just hop into a charging station to

whip out a huge undercarriage

(fnar) in order to swap it out for a

fully topped up one, or range

upgrades that require you to pay

thousands of pounds for a

manufacturer to temporarily flip a

single bit in your car’s computer

and release a little sliver of the juice

it’s been holding back. The latter, in

particular, makes Guru fume so

powerfully that he himself could be

used to quick-charge a battery.

But what if you could get your

own back on Big EV, using the tools

you’ve been given to drag a

ridiculous distance out of your car

without any upgrades, while

getting nerdy about some numbers

in the process? Hypermiling is for

you. It’s been rather popular with

SUV drivers and penny-pinching

misers since petrol started chasing

printer ink in price, but it’s extra-

relevant when it comes to EVs.

Remove all unnecessary

aerodynamic impediments like bike

racks. Put on appropriate tyres, like

Michelin’s Energy E-V (from around

£85 each) and pressure them

properly. Shut the windows and

switch off the air conditioning.

Sweat profusely. Accelerate slowly,

and use cruise control wherever

possible to maintain a constant

speed. Don’t throttle down hills,

and brake rarely, if ever; EV engine

braking will net you power back,

and is usually the most efficient.

Sweat more. But whatever you do,

don’t try slipstreaming – Guru

forbids it, because it’s dangerous

and he hates lithium explosions.

Can I extend therangeof myEV?

EVANHAWKINS,AYLESBURY

Hypermiling is for you. It’s

popular with SUV drivers and

penny-pinchers, butit’s extra-

relevant when it comes to EVs

T 3 ’s road-worthy tech brainbox

steers you in the right direction

ABOVE

Let’s see the

Duracell bunny

outlast you now

you’ve nicked his

battery