Common mistakes of first-time electric car users

Below are mistakes that many electric car users make.

Charging for too long

You’ve probably heard the advice many times not to leave your phone charging overnight; otherwise, the battery will quickly deteriorate. The same goes for electric car batteries.

Try not to drive your electric car until the battery is "drained", then plug it in overnight to charge it to 100% (Illustration: Mercedes-Benz Vietnam).

Most electric cars today use lithium-ion batteries. If you regularly charge your battery to 100% and then drain it, it will quickly fail, possibly in just a few years.

The best way is to maintain the electric car battery at 30-80%. This is the ideal threshold for the electric car to operate best and the battery to last longest.

However, you should not be too "stressed" when using a car because of this. If conditions do not allow, such as when driving long distances, you can still continue driving with peace of mind even if the battery drops below 30%, or charge the battery to more than 80% so you do not have to worry about running out of battery in the middle of the road.

Just remember not to do this too often, to avoid reducing battery life.

If the electric car is a "secondary" car, meaning you don't use it often, you still need to pay attention to checking the battery level and charging it to maintain the ideal level above. Normally, if you don't use the electric car for a long time, charge it every 3 months to avoid the battery draining to 0%.

Charge too often

This is a consequence of electric car owners being overly concerned about maintaining the ideal 30-80% threshold for the battery pack. If it is not necessary to plug in the charger, for example, when preparing to go on a long trip, the electric car should be charged every other day.

Charging too many times also reduces the battery life of electric cars (Illustration: VinFast).

If you live in your own home and have a charging station installed, charge your phone every other day. If you rely on public charging stations, you may be tempted to plug in whenever you have the chance, when you should be planning your charging accordingly.

Another advantage of not charging the battery too often for electric cars is that there is increased braking energy recovery, which reduces charging costs. When the battery is full or close to full, the regenerative braking system is shorted to avoid overcharging.

Using fast charging stations too much

Using a fast charger (DC) is convenient if you are going on a long trip and need to recharge your car mid-way during the day, or if you simply forgot to charge it the day before and the battery drops below 30%. A fast charge only takes about 30 minutes.

However, battery life and performance will decrease if you frequently use fast charging stations. You should limit the use of fast charging to increase battery life. So how often is often?

According to calculations by manufacturers and electric vehicle experts, fast charging more than 1-2 times/day is considered too much, and will reduce 1% of battery capacity each year.

Therefore, have a suitable battery charging plan before each trip, whether short or long, to avoid waiting until the battery is almost empty and then frantically looking for a fast charging station. And if conditions allow, install a charging station at home to proactively charge the battery.

Charge immediately after a long drive

Lithium-ion batteries in general and electric car batteries in particular are very sensitive to temperature. The ideal condition is 20-40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, if the electric car has just run a distance of hundreds of kilometers, especially in the summer, do not rush to plug in the charger immediately after stopping the car. Wait a while for the battery to cool down.

Charging when the battery is hot can cause the battery to deteriorate faster (Illustration: Mercedes-Benz Vietnam).

For this reason, you should not park your electric car in the sun for a long time and charge it. And that is also the reason why many manufacturers are actively researching and applying heat management technology to help electric car users have more leisure time.

Speeding, braking suddenly

Just like cars using internal combustion engines, accelerating and braking quickly consumes a lot of energy in electric cars. Due to the special technology, electric cars are able to reach maximum torque right from the start, so acceleration is quite easy. However, that is why many people often "push the gas" more than necessary.

Frequently stepping on the gas pedal will cause the electric car to run out of battery quickly, requiring it to be recharged. Meanwhile, the battery's lifespan depends on the number of times it is recharged. On average, a lithium-ion battery has a lifespan of 1,000-1,500 charges. Driving slowly will help protect the battery and reduce charging costs.