Top Tips from CarsIreland.ie for taking a long-distance trip in an Electric Car

Some simple but really useful tips here from CarsIreland.ie to help you undertake a successful long journey in an electric car. While owning and operating a fully electric car may still seem a little niche, upcoming regulations are going to make oil burners more and more expensive to own.

This is certainly an area where being an early adopter could be quite beneficial while grants and special deals from car manufacturers are still available. When people are forced to give up their oil burners all these benefits will disappear and the initial cost of moving to an electric car could get expensive (think installation costs of a charging point in your home).

Here are the tips:

– Plan your journey – pick your chargers & plan your stops.

– Leave plenty of time for your journey & try not to let your range get too tight between charges. Unexpected diversions can add extra kilometres to your journey which you might not have accounted for.

– If you are planning to use a fast charge point, remember that it might be occupied. You can always get your passenger to check the eCar app to see if it’s free beforehand, but you never know who is going to pull in ahead of you! Allow some more time in case you need to queue.

– Check the weather – rain, strong winds and extreme cold can cause more challenging driving conditions and cause the range to deplete quicker. You may also need to use more of the vehicle’s functions like lights, air con and window wipers, all of which can reduce your battery life.

– If you don’t have the ESB charge card with you, a contactless credit card will also allow you to activate the charge point.

– As the journey may take a little longer than usual, make sure to have good company!

Dublin to Dingle in a Nissan Leaf: