Over the years, The Colombo Motor Show has proved over the years its capacity to bring together a large representation of the motor industry’s leading automotive manufacturers.
www.colombomotorshow.lk
My Nissan Leaf Shop Colombo - ඔබගේ සියලුම Ev වාහන අමතර කොටස් සදහා එකම තෑන
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Colombo Motor Show 2016 at BMICH
Over the years, The Colombo Motor Show has proved over the years its capacity to bring together a large representation of the motor industry’s leading automotive manufacturers.
www.colombomotorshow.lk
Friday, September 16, 2016
වාහන ලියාපදිංචිය 50% කින් පහළට
මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අදහස් දක්වමින් මෝටර් රථ ප්‍රවාහන කොමසාරිස් ජගත් චන්ද්‍රසිරි මහතා පෙන්වා දෙන්නේ මෙලෙස වසරේ මුල් මාස 08 තුළ ලියාපදිංචි කර තිබෙන වාහන 313,465 න් හරි අඩක් පමණ මෝටර් සයිකල් වන බවයි.
පසුගිය වසරේ මුල් මාස 08 තුළ ලියාපදිංචි මෝටර් රථ සංඛ්‍යාව වන 668,907 මෙතෙක් ඉතිහාසයේ වසරක මුල් මාස 08 ක කාලපරිච්ඡේදය තුළ වාර්තා වී තිබෙන වැඩිම මෝටර් රථ ලියාපදිංචිය බව ඔහු පෙන්වා දේ.
මෑත කාලීනව වාහන ආනයන බදු ඉහළ යාම, බැංකුපොළී අනුපාතික ඉහළ යාම වැනි හේතූන් මෙලෙසින් වාහන ලියාපදිංචිය පහත වැටීමට හේතුවී ඇති බව මෝටර් රථ ප්‍රවාහන කොමසාරිස්වරයා වැඩිදුරටත් සඳහන් කර සිටී.
Source: Adaderana Biz
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Tesla says autopilot involved in second car crash - BBC News
ඉබේ ධාවනය වූ ටෙස්ලා කාරය පුද්ගලයකුට මරු කැඳවයි. (News updates: 23 Hours ago)
Tesla Model S මෝටර් රථයේ රියැදුරු සහාය නොමැතිව ඉබේ ධාවනය වන Autopilot පද්ධතිය ක්‍රියාත්මකව තිබියදී සිදුවූ දරුණු රිය අනතුරකින් මෝටර් රථයේ රියැදුරු ජීවිතක්ෂකයට පත්ව තිබෙනවා. මධ්‍යම ෆ්ලොරිඩාවේ අධිවේගී මාර්ගයකදී සිදුවූ මෙම අනතුර සිදුව ඇත්තේ ටෙස්ලා මෝටර් රථයට ලම්භකව ඉදිරියෙන් ධාවනය වූ ට්‍රැක්ටරයක ටේලරයේ මෝටර් රථය ගැටීමෙනි.
ඉබේ ධාවනය වීම සඳහා වන Autopilot පද්ධතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක වුවත් මෙම ට්‍රැක්ටරයේ ටේලරය දීප්තිමත් සුදු පැහැයෙන් දිස්වූ නිසා අහස සේ වරදවා වටහා ගැනීමත්, අසාමාන්‍ය ලෙස උසින් පිහිටි එම ටේලරය රේඩාර් පද්ධතිය මඟින් මාර්ගයේ ඉදිරියෙන් ඇති මාර්ග පුළුල් සංඥා පුවරුවක් ලෙස වරදවා වටහා ගැනීමත් නිසා මේ අනතුර සිදුව ඇති බවයි ටෙස්ලා සමාගමේ ප්‍රධාන විධායක නිළධාරී Elon Musk පවසන්නේ. ටේලරයේ උසත්, මාර්ගයේ ඒ මොහොතේ පිහිටි ස්ථානයත් අනුව Tesla මෝටර් රථය ටේලරය යට ප්‍රදේශයේ ගැටීමෙන් අනතුර සිදුවී ඇත.
කෙසේ නමුත් තවමත් පරයේෂණ මට්ටමේ පවතින Autopilot පද්ධතිය භාවිතයේ දී අනුගමනය කල යුතු පිළිවෙල අනුගමනය නොකිරීම නිසා මේ අනතුරට සම්පූර්ණ වගකීම මියගිය රියදුරු වෙත පැවරෙනු ඇත.
මේ අනතුරින් මියගිය පුද්ගලයා මීට පෙරද ටෙස්ලා මෝටර් රථය Autopilot යොදාගෙන ධාවනය වන අතරතුරේ අනතුරකින් බේරුනු අවස්ථාවක වීඩියෝවක් අන්තර්ජාලය වෙත එක් කර ඇති අතර ඒ වීඩියෝව Elon Musk පවා Tweet කර ඇත. Joshua Brown නම් මේ 40 හැවිරිදි පුද්ගලයා සිය ටෙස්ලා මෝටර් රථයේ විවිධ දර්ශණ සිය යූ ටියුබ් චැනලය වෙත නිතර නිතර එකතු කරන පුද්ගලයෙකි.
මේ අනතුර පිළිබඳව මේ වන විට ඇමරිකානු අධිවේගී මාර්ග ප්‍රවාහන අධිකාරිය විසින් පරීක්ෂණ පවත්වයි. කෙසේ වෙතත් Autopilot පද්ධති තවමත් පර්යේෂණ මට්ටමේ පවතින බවත්, දත්ත හා පර්යේෂණ මත දිනෙන් දින එහි නිරවද්‍ය බව වැඩි වුවත් තවමත් රියැදුරුගේ සම්පූර්ණ අවධානය ධාවනය සඳහා අවශ්‍ය බවයි ටෙස්ලා සමාගම පවසන්නේ.
Tesla says autopilot involved in second car crash:
Friday, May 27, 2016
විද්‍යුත් මෝටර් රථ වාහන මිල අඩු වන ලකුනු
ආනයනික වාහන සඳහා නව බදු ක්‍රමවේදයක් හඳුන්වාදී ඇති අතර ඒ අනුව වාහන මිල ගණන් ඉහළ යන බව ලංකා වාහන ආනයනකරුවන්ගේ සංගමය පවසයි.
ඊයේ මධ්‍යම රාත්‍රීයේ සිට ක්‍රියාත්මක වන පරිදි මිල වැඩි වීම සිදුවේ.
වාහන ආනයනකරුවන්ගේ සංගමයේ සභාපති ඉන්දික සම්පත් මෙරෙංචිගේ මහතා විසින් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් අද පෙරවරුවේ මාධ්‍ය හමුවක් පවත්වමින් මේ බව අනාවරණය කළේය.
ඒ අනූව නව ඒකක බද්ධ හඳුන්වාදීම හේතුවෙන් නිෂ්පාදන බදු වෙනසකට භාජන වී ඇති බව හෙතෙම පැවසීය.
වාහනවල වටිනාකම සම්බන්ධයෙන් පැවැති විෂමතා සම්බන්ධයෙන් අගමැතිවරයා, මුදල් ඇමතිවරයා මෙන්ම සිය නියෝජිතයින් අතර පැවැති සාකච්ඡාවලින් පසු නව ඒකක බද්ද හඳුන්වාදීමට පියවර ගත් බවත්, ඒ අනූව එය වෙළඳපොළ උඩු යටිකුරු වීමක් ලෙස සැලකිය හැකි බවත්, ඔහු කීවේය.
මේ යටතේ එංජින් ධාරිතාව 1000ට වැඩි සියලු වාහන මිල ඉහළ යනු ඇත.
එංජින් ධාරිතාව 1000 සිට 1500 දක්වා වාහන සඳහා අවම බද්ද රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 30ක් පමණ වේ.
එංජින් ධාරිතාව 1500ත් 1600ත් අතර වාහන සඳහා ඒකකයක් වෙනුවෙන් රුපියල් 3500ක බද්දක් ද ධාරිතාව 1600ට වැඩි වාහන සඳහා ඒකකයක් වෙනුවෙන් රුපියල් 4000ක් ද බදු වශයෙන් අය කරන බව සම්පත් මෙරෙන්චිගේ මහතා සඳහන් කළේය.
විද්‍යුත් මෝටර් රථ වාහන මිල ඒකක බදු ක්‍රමය යටතේ අඩු වන අතර මුලින් පැවැති ලක්ෂ 29ක පමණ බද්ද නව ක්‍රමය යටතේ ලක්ෂ 17 හමාරක් පමණ වනු ඇත.
නමුත් පවතින මිලට වඩා එම වාහන වැඩි අගයක් විය හැකි බව සම්පත් මෙරෙන්චිගේ මහතා සඳහන් කළේය. මේ යටතේ ත්‍රීවිල රථයක බද්ධ රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 4 දක්වාද, පියර්ස් රථයක බද්ධ රුපියල් ලක්ෂ 33 සිට 72 දක්වාද, එක්සෙල් රථයක බද්ද රුපියල් ලක්ෂ හතලිස් ගණනේ සිට 72 දක්වාද වැඩිවිය හැකි බව හෙතෙම පැවසීය.
කෙසේ වුවද වෑන් හා ලොරි රථවලට නව බද්ද බලපෑමක් සිදුනොවනු ඇතැයි ද ඒ මහතා කීවේය. තවද මරුටි, ඇල්ටෝ වැනි වාහනවල ලක්ෂ 8ක පැවැති ලක්ෂ 12ක් පමණ වනු ඇතැයිද ඔහු කියා සිටියේය.
මේ යටතේ ඉදිරියේදී ශ්‍රී ලංකාවට එංජින් ධාරිතාව 1000ට වැඩි වාහන ආනයනය නතර වනු ඇතැයි ද, එසේම ජපන් වාහනයක් ගැනීමේ හැකියාව අවම වනු ඇතැයිද ඔහු පැවසීය.
New Vehicle duty rates according to the new circular
Sri Lanka Customs. (27 May 2016)
Sri Lanka Customs. (27 May 2016)
රේගු ආදායමෙන් සියයට 40ක් ලැබෙන්නේ වාහන බදු වලින් බවද කියා සිටි ඒ මහතා ඒකක බදු ක්‍රමය හොඳ බවද මේ නිසා වාහන අලෙවි කරන සමාගම්වලට ස්ථාවර විය හැකි බවද වැඩිදුරටත් කියා සිටියේය.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
අලුත්ම ඉන්දියානු මෝටර් රථ පහක ආරක්ෂාව බිංදුවයි
ලොව නිෂ්පාදනය කරනු ලබන වාහනවල ආරක්ෂාව පිළිබඳ ශ්‍රේණිගත කිරීම් සිදුකරනු ලබන බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය සමාගමක් වන Global NCAP (Global New Car Assessment Programme)ආයතනය සිය නවතම වාර්තාවක් පසුගිය දා එළිදක්වනු ලැබීය.
ඊට අනුව ඉන්දියානු මෝටර් රථ පහක මගී ආරක්ෂාව පවතින්නේ ඉතාම පහළ මට්ටමක බව අවධාරණය කර තිබේ. මෝටර් රථවල ආරක්ෂාව සම්බන්ධයෙන් සිදුකරන ලද තරු (Star) ශ්‍රේණිගත කිරීම්වල දී මෙම වාහන වර්ග 5 ට කිසිදු තරුවක් හිමි වී නොතිබීම මෙහි ඇති වඩාත් විමසිලිමත් විය යුතු තත්ත්වයයි.
මෙලෙස මගී ආරක්ෂාව බිංදුවට දමා ඇති මෝටර් රථ පහ වනුයේ Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Maruti Suzuki Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio සහ Hyundai Eon යන මෝටර් රථ වර්ග පහයි.
Source: http://biz.adaderana.lk
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Green Frontiers and Chargenet Fast EV Charging Center Locations - Sri Lanka
Note: Most of these charging stations are not fast charging centers. Please made a call and confirm availability before you plan to go there.
ChargeNet
Green Frontiers
Search Charging locations: http://www.green-frontiers.net/green-frontiers/
Download NISSAN Leaf Driver's Guide Mobile App
The Nissan Driver’s Guide is an application based on Augmented Reality Technology. It will help you to learn and understand more about your vehicle.
When you want detailed information about a particular button or switch, simply point the camera of your smartphone at that object or area containing the object. An interactive pop up appears on the screen of your phone and with a single touch you are quickly provided with the information you require. When a warning light is displayed on your vehicle's combination meter, the Nissan Driver's guide provides you with quick access to additional information.
Point the camera of your phone at the combination meter and with a single touch, you will have access to an explanation of all the warning lights.
You can also touch the dedicated warning light icon on the main screen.
The application provides the following features:
This technology interacts with 3 main areas of the vehicle:
· Steering wheel
· Navigation and Audio system
· Climate control system
2. Descriptions of all the warning lights displayed on the vehicle’s combination meter.
3. An electronic version of the Quick Reference Guide, providing a brief overview of many important features of the vehicle, including instructions to follow if your vehicle has a flat Tyre.
Note: The Augmented Reality interacts with these main buttons and systems:
1. Steering wheel buttons
2. Audio system buttons
3. Navigation system buttons
4. Air Conditioning buttons
5. Parking Brake button
6. Combination meter
7. Start/Stop engine button
8. Buttons located between the steering wheel and the driver's door.
How it works ? https://youtu.be/0fhESt63RP8
Monday, March 14, 2016
Live Road Traffic Reports Sri Lanka
Real-time traffic alert and mileage tracker all rolled into one App in Sri Lanka.
Road.lk free traffic alert and GPS tracker app:http://goo.gl/xkOjN
Road.lk free traffic alert and GPS tracker app:http://goo.gl/xkOjN
Monday, March 7, 2016
Importing EV Vehicle Duty Rates (7 March 2016)
Importing EV Vehicle - Sri Lanka Customs. Updated Duty Rates (7 March 2016). Nissan leaf new price in Sri Lanka (2016)
Click on image so view large
Sunday, March 6, 2016
නිසාන් ලීෆ් බැටරියේ ධාරිතාවය ඉක්මනින් අඩු වීමේ සාධක
Nissan Leaf Battery Health Decaying Factors. By: Supun Madushanka (President- EV Club Sri Lanka)
New tariff to facilitate Electric Vehicles Announced
The new tariff is a “Time of Use” tariff where individual consumptions during three time blocks, namely “Off Peak” (2230 to 0530 of the following day), “Day”(0530 to 1830) and “Peak” (1830 to 2230) are separately metered and charged. Unlike the prevailing block tariff structure for domestic consumers, under this new Time of Use tariff, there is only a single tariff within each time block. In order to facilitate Electric Vehicle Charging, a low off peak tariff of Rs 13 per unit (kWh) has been offered for seven hours starting from 10.30pm. A higher tariff of Rs 54 has been charged for the four peak hours from 6.30pm and a tariff of Rs 25 a unit has been charged for the remaining thirteen hours of the day.
The option has been offered initially only to those consumers having a three phase supply and the additional cost of the new Time of Use meter has to be borne by the consumer.
CEB also wishes to invite the attention of all consumers to ensure that the socket outlet that they use to draw power to Electrical Vehicle Charger complies with the latest IEE Wiring Regulations and the conductor size and the MCB in the final circuit is capable of continuously delivering the sizable currents likely to be drawn during vehicle charging. If in doubt, consumers are advised to get their installations tested by a Chartered Engineer to verify compliance. It is to be noted that incorrect practices are rampant where conductors having continuous ratings below 15A are being used in conjunction with a larger size MCB (16A) to wire 15A outlets. Consumers are cautioned that whenever the conductor rating, after de-rated to local conditions, is below the MCB rating, the conductor is not protected by the over current device (MCB) and may even lead to fire.
Click here to Download The official tariff announcement of CEB. (English/Sinhala/Tamil)
Smart Electric Meters introduced to Sri Lanka. Read more.
How to apply for a Smart Meter in Sri Lanka ? Read more.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Download ChargeNet Android Mobile App - Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations Map Sri Lanka
chargeNET is a free application that will tell you where are the Electric Vehicle EV Charging stations located around you. In addition to the locations, you can find out the available status of those chargers and how much they cost to charge.
chargeNET App for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vega.chargenet&hl=en
chargeNET App for Mac
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chargenet/id1059695866?ls=1&mt=8
Currently this service is available only for Sri Lanka.
chargeNET App for Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vega.chargenet&hl=en
chargeNET App for Mac
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chargenet/id1059695866?ls=1&mt=8
Open Charge Map - http://openchargemap.org/site/
Eight Tips to Extend Battery Life of Your Electric Car
- Avoid full charging when you can.
One reason that batteries in mobile devices only last a couple years is that they are being pushed to their maximum capacity—frequently getting fully charged and fully drained. Consumer products are advertised by their battery operation time, not their battery lifespan. This means that every possible electron will be shoved in there. Charging to maximum capacity might give you the most possible use for that one charge, but it is one of the worst things that you can do to lithium batteries.
In the 2011 Nissan LEAF, there is a Long Battery Life setting that tells the car to stop charging at 80 percent. This reduces the available range, but could greatly increase the lifespan of your battery pack. If your normal daily driving can be done with less than an 80 percent charge or you can charge mid-day, this simple setting is one of the easiest things that you can do to increase the battery’s lifespan.
One additional advantage of not charging up all the way is that it leaves room to store energy from regenerative braking. Often when the batteries are full or near full, regen will be disabled to avoid overcharging the batteries.
- For pure EVs, avoid deep discharging your battery pack.
Lithium-ion packs prefer a partial cycle rather than a deep discharge. Since lithium-ion chemistries do not have a memory effect, there is no harm using a partial discharge. Not only will this avoid excessive wear, it will also mean that—with a little planning—you will arrive at your destination with range to spare.
The Nissan LEAF has 12 “fuel bars” that tell you the charge level of the batteries. Just like you were taught to keep your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2, it is a good idea to keep your LEAF’s charge level within 10 and 2 bars of charge.
EV drivers are often asked, “How far can you go on a charge?” But if you can help it, avoid trying to personally find out for yourself by driving all the way down to an empty battery to test your electric car’s full range.
- For plug-in hybrids, consider “mountain-mode” or leaving EV-mode at key times.
In a plug-in hybrid like the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, or a range-extended electric vehicle such as the Chevy Volt, it’s more common to use all of the available battery capacity before switching to gasoline power. Fortunately, the vehicle’s battery management system knows when to stop drawing from the battery—to avoid deep cycling.
But if you know that your planned route includes a long hill climb, switch to Mountain Mode—which kicks on the gas engine and saves juice in the battery—at least 20 minutes before you start the climb. This will ensure that the batteries are not deep discharged during a long steep climb and you’ll have all the power you need to pass as you go up the mountain.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid gives drivers the similar option of voluntarily pushing the car out of EV mode—and for a period of time use more gas and less battery.
- Use timers to minimize the time spent at a high state of charge
You may have heard that, in many cases, it’s better for the grid, the environment, and your wallet if you charge your EV at night. (See our Top Five Rules for Electric Car Utility Rate Plans.) But careful timing of your charging schedule is also better for your batteries. Again, the idea is that lithium-ion batteries are most stable when they are about half charged—not too full and not too empty. However, a 50 percent charge may not provide adequate range for your daily driving—or may push your state of charge to the limit during your very next commute.
So how do you keep the batteries in their most stable state as long as possible while still ensuring that you have enough range when you leave in the morning? Many electric cars and charging equipment providers offer the ability to program the time of day the charging takes place. The best practice is to set the timer so the vehicle is at the charge level you need about 60 minutes before you plan to leave. Delaying the charge minimizes the time the batteries spend when the cell voltage is high.
The 60-minute buffer has two purposes. First, if something unexpected comes up, like an unscheduled meeting at work, you are not waiting for your car to charge in order to leave. Second, this time allows the batteries time to cool down after charging before they are used for driving. (This second reason is not as important during cold weather, since this warmth would help fight the cold.)
One exception to delaying the charge is if the batteries are almost completely drained. In that case, it’s best to begin charging as soon as possible.
- On a hot day, try to park in the shade. During the winter, park in a garage, rather than on the street.
Many electric cars have thermal management—via air or liquid—that is great for keeping your batteries comfortable, but it comes at a price. Running fans and AC compressors use energy. On a hot day, if you were to park your car on a hot asphalt parking lot, you would not want the thermal management system to run continually. If it did, hours later when you came back, your batteries could be somewhat drained from cooling themselves. Alternatively, the car’s thermal management system could run for a few minutes after parking and then shutdown until the vehicle is restarted. That means that after that cool-down cycle completes, your batteries are slowly being heated by their surrounding. Neither of these solutions are ideal for battery longevity.
- Tip: If your EV has thermal management and the weather is extreme, plug in whenever you can.
This will, of course, charge your batteries, but more importantly, it will engage the thermal management system continuously without draining the batteries. Remember that lithium batteries like the same temperature ranges that you and I do. If you had to sit in the sun in a hot parking lot, would you want the AC turned on? Yes, you would and so would your vehicle’s batteries.
- Plan ahead for period of extended storage.
The Tesla Roadster has a “storage mode.” This makes it easy: plug in the car, set it to storage mode and the vehicle’s firmware takes care of the batteries. If your plug-in vehicle has a special storage mode, use it. If not, and you will not be driving your plug-in car for a month or more, here is what I recommend: (1) Store the vehicle in a cool, but not freezing, location; (2) Charge to 60 percent; (3) The batteries slowly self discharge; (4) When the charge is below 20 percent or 3 months later, whichever comes first, charge the vehicle back up to 60 percent.
With Internet-enabled EVs such as the LEAF and Volt, you can run a smartphone app and check the charge level. When the charge is below 20 percent, you can even initiate charging with these apps.
If you have your car in storage mode for a month or more, this can cause the batteries to become unbalanced. If the pack is unbalanced, your range will be greatly reduced. To alleviate this problem, simply fully charge your batteries before the next time you drive the car. Even if you generally use an 80 percent charge, the next two times you charge the car after a storage event, charge it all the way up. This will ensure the batteries are rebalanced.
- To maximize battery life, minimize use of DC quick charge.
I have saved the best for last. DC quick chargers can dump about 80 miles of range into the Nissan LEAF’s battery pack in 30 minutes. Fast charging is very useful if you need to drive more than the vehicle’s single-charge range in a single day. However, the batteries pay a price for this convenience.
Regular use of fast charging will cost you about 1 percent of capacity per year. For example, if you avoid fast charging, you may have 80 percent capacity after 10 years of normal use. However, if fast charging is your primary fueling method, then your capacity would be 70 percent after 10 years. While the cost to the battery’s lifespan may not be as much as you may think, fast charging still takes a toll that should be avoided when possible.
These tips can extend the life of an electric car’s batteries, but I’d like to make it clear that most are not absolutely necessary. With modern plug-in vehicles, you can simply plug them in anytime and drive it any way that you see fit and you should still have batteries that perform well in 10 years. The manufacturers already build in precautions so you cannot overcharge, over-discharge, or over heat. These are the biggest impacts to lifespan. Still, the tips can help wring a few more cycles out of your pack—and show you how to enjoy your EV while maximizing battery lifespan.
You can choose to be a battery-babier or a battery-abuser. That's up to you. For many of these tips, there is not extensive data that demonstrates exactly how much more life you can get. To quote Sammy Hagar, “Only time will tell if we stand the test of time.”
One reason that batteries in mobile devices only last a couple years is that they are being pushed to their maximum capacity—frequently getting fully charged and fully drained. Consumer products are advertised by their battery operation time, not their battery lifespan. This means that every possible electron will be shoved in there. Charging to maximum capacity might give you the most possible use for that one charge, but it is one of the worst things that you can do to lithium batteries.
In the 2011 Nissan LEAF, there is a Long Battery Life setting that tells the car to stop charging at 80 percent. This reduces the available range, but could greatly increase the lifespan of your battery pack. If your normal daily driving can be done with less than an 80 percent charge or you can charge mid-day, this simple setting is one of the easiest things that you can do to increase the battery’s lifespan.
One additional advantage of not charging up all the way is that it leaves room to store energy from regenerative braking. Often when the batteries are full or near full, regen will be disabled to avoid overcharging the batteries.
- For pure EVs, avoid deep discharging your battery pack.
The Nissan LEAF has 12 “fuel bars” that tell you the charge level of the batteries. Just like you were taught to keep your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2, it is a good idea to keep your LEAF’s charge level within 10 and 2 bars of charge.
EV drivers are often asked, “How far can you go on a charge?” But if you can help it, avoid trying to personally find out for yourself by driving all the way down to an empty battery to test your electric car’s full range.
In a plug-in hybrid like the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, or a range-extended electric vehicle such as the Chevy Volt, it’s more common to use all of the available battery capacity before switching to gasoline power. Fortunately, the vehicle’s battery management system knows when to stop drawing from the battery—to avoid deep cycling.
But if you know that your planned route includes a long hill climb, switch to Mountain Mode—which kicks on the gas engine and saves juice in the battery—at least 20 minutes before you start the climb. This will ensure that the batteries are not deep discharged during a long steep climb and you’ll have all the power you need to pass as you go up the mountain.
The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid gives drivers the similar option of voluntarily pushing the car out of EV mode—and for a period of time use more gas and less battery.
You may have heard that, in many cases, it’s better for the grid, the environment, and your wallet if you charge your EV at night. (See our Top Five Rules for Electric Car Utility Rate Plans.) But careful timing of your charging schedule is also better for your batteries. Again, the idea is that lithium-ion batteries are most stable when they are about half charged—not too full and not too empty. However, a 50 percent charge may not provide adequate range for your daily driving—or may push your state of charge to the limit during your very next commute.
So how do you keep the batteries in their most stable state as long as possible while still ensuring that you have enough range when you leave in the morning? Many electric cars and charging equipment providers offer the ability to program the time of day the charging takes place. The best practice is to set the timer so the vehicle is at the charge level you need about 60 minutes before you plan to leave. Delaying the charge minimizes the time the batteries spend when the cell voltage is high.
The 60-minute buffer has two purposes. First, if something unexpected comes up, like an unscheduled meeting at work, you are not waiting for your car to charge in order to leave. Second, this time allows the batteries time to cool down after charging before they are used for driving. (This second reason is not as important during cold weather, since this warmth would help fight the cold.)
One exception to delaying the charge is if the batteries are almost completely drained. In that case, it’s best to begin charging as soon as possible.
The Tesla Roadster has a “storage mode.” This makes it easy: plug in the car, set it to storage mode and the vehicle’s firmware takes care of the batteries. If your plug-in vehicle has a special storage mode, use it. If not, and you will not be driving your plug-in car for a month or more, here is what I recommend: (1) Store the vehicle in a cool, but not freezing, location; (2) Charge to 60 percent; (3) The batteries slowly self discharge; (4) When the charge is below 20 percent or 3 months later, whichever comes first, charge the vehicle back up to 60 percent.
With Internet-enabled EVs such as the LEAF and Volt, you can run a smartphone app and check the charge level. When the charge is below 20 percent, you can even initiate charging with these apps.
If you have your car in storage mode for a month or more, this can cause the batteries to become unbalanced. If the pack is unbalanced, your range will be greatly reduced. To alleviate this problem, simply fully charge your batteries before the next time you drive the car. Even if you generally use an 80 percent charge, the next two times you charge the car after a storage event, charge it all the way up. This will ensure the batteries are rebalanced.
I have saved the best for last. DC quick chargers can dump about 80 miles of range into the Nissan LEAF’s battery pack in 30 minutes. Fast charging is very useful if you need to drive more than the vehicle’s single-charge range in a single day. However, the batteries pay a price for this convenience.
Regular use of fast charging will cost you about 1 percent of capacity per year. For example, if you avoid fast charging, you may have 80 percent capacity after 10 years of normal use. However, if fast charging is your primary fueling method, then your capacity would be 70 percent after 10 years. While the cost to the battery’s lifespan may not be as much as you may think, fast charging still takes a toll that should be avoided when possible.
These tips can extend the life of an electric car’s batteries, but I’d like to make it clear that most are not absolutely necessary. With modern plug-in vehicles, you can simply plug them in anytime and drive it any way that you see fit and you should still have batteries that perform well in 10 years. The manufacturers already build in precautions so you cannot overcharge, over-discharge, or over heat. These are the biggest impacts to lifespan. Still, the tips can help wring a few more cycles out of your pack—and show you how to enjoy your EV while maximizing battery lifespan.
You can choose to be a battery-babier or a battery-abuser. That's up to you. For many of these tips, there is not extensive data that demonstrates exactly how much more life you can get. To quote Sammy Hagar, “Only time will tell if we stand the test of time.”
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Drive Green Sri Lanka – EV Symposium
To promote the use of environmental friendly electric vehicles in the country and empower EV Owners and Enthusiast with the required knowledge.
ENTRANCE FREE – RESERVE THE DATE
BMICH Committee Room B
More details: http://www.hybridsrilanka.com/drive-green-sri-lanka-ev-symposium/
ENTRANCE FREE – RESERVE THE DATE
BMICH Committee Room B
More details: http://www.hybridsrilanka.com/drive-green-sri-lanka-ev-symposium/
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