As the funny joke goes… “How do you know which guy in the pub drives an electric car?… Don’t worry, they’ll tell you!” Similar story for anyone training for a marathon! But why do they feel the need to brag about it? The main reason… Because they’re proud of the fact. And rightly so.
A big EV Road Trip is a lot like a Marathon…Not a Sprint
You’ve got to think on your feet, stay hydrated, stay efficient, and be prepared. That’s part of the charm.
- Footwear matters – Similar to a marathon runner – make sure your tyres are fit for purpose as they can make all the difference for grip, safety and extending your range.
- Ditch the Shire Horse Outfit!! – Gotta love those marathon runners dressed as a gorilla, but they’re not gonna break any records and the same goes for EV distance driving. Don’t overload your car with heavy non essential items. Every kg counts.
- Dress your EV for success – streamlined packing and roof box choices make a real difference to drag and mileage.
- Think more “tortoise” and less “hare.” – We’ve all seen the keenos at the beginning of the London Marathon sprinting like Usain Bolt – only to be doubled over blowing out their a*se 5 minutes later. The same goes for EV driving. Smooth and steady acceleration wins the race and controlled braking will be much better for your energy consumption.
Starting the journey fully charged.
Being able to control how much energy you start with is a lot like a balanced diet ahead of the “race”. If you have a home charger, it enables you to “fuel-up” overnight and start with maximum energy. You can obviously fuel up on the road, but it’s not always as straight forward! Whenever we have a big journey, we use our 7kw zappi home charger from myenergi.com – which also enables us to take advantage of cheap off-peak electricity. Win, win.
Watt’s Next? Enter libbi
Who on earth is libbi I hear you shout… well, she’s the key to cheap energy! As you build up to a marathon, consistent nutrition (energy) is vital. Similar to using a battery storage device like the libbi. This allows you to stockpile cheap and renewable energy to use when your reserves are running low!
So, if the grid (drinks break pit stop) ever fails, libbi prioritises the essentials – your fridge, WiFi router and even your zappi charger – so you stay powered, connected and mobile.
Stay tuned for our upcoming video on my personal libbi installation and performance after a few months in real‑world use.
Final Thoughts
So whether you’re jogging around the winding London backstreets or navigating the Alpine roads in France, always try to start your journey fully charged and ensure your vehicle (body) is ready for action – and pat yourself on the back for not producing any nasty emissions!
Thinking about your own EV adventure? Check out how we did 2000km in the all electric Polestar 2 with our friends at Select Car Leasing.
To start your energy independence adventure, check out the myenergi.com ecosystem.
Cheers, Ric.
