3 DIY Tips to Keep Your Scottsdale Electric Car Juiced Up & Running

Both environmental concerns and rising gas prices have combined to increase the popularity of electric cars. Electric car sales are booming and sales are expected to continue to increase over the next few years.

Fear of being left stranded if the battery runs out of charge is the greatest detriment to electric car sales. For the most part these fears are unfounded. Most people drive around the same areas every day. Owners of electric cars can testify that they have found that they drive fewer miles each day than they would have guessed. As time goes by they see that a fully charged battery gets them where they need to go and back again each time.

So where would you charge your electric car? Obviously there are many more gas stations along the road than charging stations. It’s estimated that over 65% of electric car owners recharge their vehicles at home. Approximately 25% of electric car owners recharge at work and only a small percentage use public charging stations.

When you go home each night charge your car.

What’s required to recharge at home? Simply an extension cord and an electric outlet. In the common household 120 volt outlet it takes anywhere from 5 to 12 hours to recharge an electric car. If you plug it into an outlet set up for your electric clothes dryer, which is 240 volt, it will charge in half the time. Most electric car owners have a charging station installed in their garage in order to keep their car charged up.

As you go about your daily life, seek out parking places that offer charging stations.

Today, many large parking areas offer charging stations. In addition, some companies are developing a network of portable charging stations to be strategically placed wherever they find the maximum demand for recharging. There are also apps available that will locate the nearest charging station along with user reviews of the particular charging station. This would be invaluable if you travel in electric car.

Consider the effects of Scottsdale Arizona weather.

Both extreme cold and extreme heat can have a negative effect on electric car batteries, reducing their range. The need to use the car’s heater or air conditioner will also reduce the range as the energy being used to heat or cool the inside of the car would have otherwise been used to propel the car. Manufacturers continue to improve battery cooling methods such as air cooled and liquid cooled batteries. So don’t let the Scottsdale temperatures frighten you, over one half of the electric cars sold in the United States last year were sold in states that have some of the highest average temperatures.

When an electric car is fully charged it can travel between 70 and 170 miles. It is been estimated that this is adequate to complete approximately 90% of household car trips. Just remember, as long as you have an extension cord you can most likely find a way to recharge.

Find out how Scottsdale Muffler & Automotive can help with your Scottsdale auto repair needs!