As the world of automobiles, which includes heavy rigs makes the inevitable shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles the following question is one consideration which will not change and stays consistent…

How can I get more kilometers between fueling/ charging. Whether you’re trying to increase the amount of time between “gassing up” or increase the amount of time between “charging up”, covering as much distance on your existing energy source is the key to job efficiency and profitability. So, while fuel costs may no longer be as acute a concern, getting the most distance out of your charge is still vital to your livelihood.

How does someone increase the range of a Volvo electric rig?

Perhaps not surprisingly, little has changed when it comes to accomplishing this. All but the final tips that we will share with you today will not only make a massive difference for electric rig drivers, but for those driving combustion engine vehicles as well. Driving habits and behaviours play a role in every vehicle’s range and efficiency, electric rigs are no different. There are four easy ways to increase the range of your Volvo electric truck, so probably not surprisingly, the first tip is to drive smoothly and don’t accelerate as hard. Yes, electric trucks are incredibly fast, but just like with combustion engine trucks, the harder you jump on the accelerator the faster you burn energy, and sooner you will need to recharge.

Second, again as with their diesel counterparts by using cruise control wherever and wherever possible you will benefit by getting more drive time.

Third, drive at lower speeds. There are many studies that show driving at slower speeds decreases the rate of fuel consumption dramatically and it is fair to expect that this will hold just as true with electric rigs as well.

Fourth, aim to have a moderate cab temperature, not too hot or not too cold. While heating your cab didn’t have much impact on fuel usage in diesel/ combustion vehicles, air conditioning definitely did (air conditioning was able to decrease fuel consumption by up to 20% depending upon the vehicle. It is the most fuel demanding auxiliary feature in most vehicles). When it comes to electric rigs, both heating and cooling again are a major drain to your engines batteries and driving distance.

Fifth, never drive with the window down, studies have shown that all of that extra wind drag and resistance can actually rob you of up to ten percent of your driving range!

Now as mentioned, here is a way to increase driving distance that is unique to electric vehicles. Master the trucks regenerative braking. If you let the truck do the braking when slowing or going downhill, this can extend its range by up to thirty five percent! Stop and think about this. It’s a game changer. Regenerative braking is probably one of the most important things you can do to enhance the distance you can travel without having to recharge your heavy truck. There you have it. Six steps to help increase how far you can drive on a single electric charge.

Happy Hauling!