Car wash: tips for the car wash
Some e-car owners have reservations about driving their e-car to the car wash. But the fear of car washes is unfounded, as there are no dangers whatsoever. e-cars can generally be used in car washes without hesitation and the process is exactly the same as for combustion vehicles. The high-voltage battery, power cables and electronic connections are protected from water. This also applies to the underbody, so that an underbody wash can also be carried out. Finally, driving in the rain is also possible without any problems.
Some electric vehicles now even have a car wash mode, such as Tesla. Controls and sensors that could cause problems are deactivated so that nothing can happen. Special instructions can be found in your vehicle's operating instructions.
More and more electric cars no longer have an explicit start button. Whether someone is in the driver's seat is detected via the seat, seat belt and other sensors. If no person is detected in the driver's seat, the "ignition" switches off and the vehicle switches to "P" mode for safety reasons. If "N" is specified in the car wash, you must remain seated in the driver's seat during the wash programme.
Can an e-car charge in the rain or during a thunderstorm?
Yes, components such as plugs, cables. High-voltage batteries and contacts in e-cars are insulated and waterproof. Charging stations and wallboxes also have overvoltage protection. Basically, it makes no difference to the functionality of an electric car whether it is raining outside or not. The e-car has the same functionalities as a petrol or diesel car. So you can drive in a thunderstorm without any worries. As in all closed cars, the Faraday cage protects you from a lightning strike. Due to the closed construction of the cars, voltage is only generated on the surface, which is then discharged evenly into the ground via the outer surface.
In a traffic jam with the e-car?
No problem! In winter, you don't need to worry about freezing in a traffic jam. The heating in the e-car only consumes around 3 kW per hour in winter conditions. As hardly any drive energy is required, the available energy is easily sufficient.
If you still want to save electricity, here are a few useful tips:
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Reduce the interior air conditioning and use the seat heating instead.
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Use recirculation mode.
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Keep doors and windows closed, switch off the radio, front/rear window heating, windscreen wipers and dipped headlights. The parking lights should always be switched on for safety.
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Always have a warm blanket ready
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Always ensure that the battery is sufficiently charged so that you can always reach the next charging point in good time.
Breakdown assistance - when an electric car breaks down
If your electric car breaks down and won't start on its own, it's best to call a breakdown service. Getting jump-start assistance from another car can be dangerous. When starting a connected car, the current flow can be too high, which can cause enormous damage to the e-car's electrical system. For this reason, an e-car should never give or receive a jump start from a combustion engine vehicle. In general, the connection points in the engine compartment of an e-car are not designed for jump-starting.
Other constellations for charging the 12V battery are possible under certain circumstances. The respective manufacturer provides information on this, which you should observe.