The Tata Vista EV having its first charge at my home

According to the Tata Engineer, smooth driving makes a big difference to how long the charge lasts. If you lift off the accelerator pedal the car slows and recharges the battery, so the aim is to slow this way as often as possible and not use the brake too much. Driving much above 50 mph also starts to hit the range. Apparently driving at 70mph reduces the range by 30% compared to driving at 60mph. By driving smoothly a range of 80 miles is easily achievable and with great care 90 miles is just about possible. The other tip we were given, is to keep the battery on charge, as even when its fully charged, keeping it plugged in keeps the battery optimised, which extends life and also ensures it is ready to work at peak output from the moment you drive off. On the other hand charging at night is best for the environment, as you are using base load electricity, not adding to the peaks in demand. So I have set the timer on my charger to come on at midnight and stay on till mid morning so it charges in the small hour, and whenever I leave for the day the car will be ready and the battery in its best possible condition.

I’ll blog again after I’ve got some experience of the car in normal day to day use.