Regular detailing of an electric vehicle is crucial for its longevity. When maintaining an EV, most people focus on the battery and the transmission of the vehicle ignoring the other smaller details which are equally important. For instance, regular detailing is another maintenance process that every EV owner must consider.  This process contributes to electric vehicle efficiency occurring from reduced drag giving the vehicle a much longer range.

This is why everyone who owns these vehicle’ must give due consideration to the issue of EV regular detailing as it is just as important as the other things are. Carrying out this vital process calls for great attention to detail for maximum benefits.  As a first time EV owner doing so can be challenging especially if you do not understand the process, its benefits and how it is carried out.

This is why you need some guidance on how to regularly detail your EV for efficiency and other benefits.  This blog explores some of the known benefits of EV detailing and how to carry out the process for optimal gains, keep reading.

The Importance of Electric Vehicle Regular Detailing

Regular EV detailing might seem somehow unnecessary to some people given that EV enthusiasts do not talk much about this process and its benefits the way they talk about other things.  As such, some people ignore it thinking the process does not yield any gainful benefits to the vehicle.

However, contrary to this belief EV detailing comes with many benefits far much more than what many people think.  To understand why you need to start detailing your EV in case you are not doing it, consider the following electric vehicle efficiency comparison to inefficient EVs below.

• Reduced Aerodynamic Drag

One of the greatest benefits of regular EV detailing is that it reduces the vehicle’s aerodynamic drag. Reduction in the aerodynamic drag in turn results in efficiency which saves battery power giving the vehicle a much longer driving range. To detail your vehicle accordingly for these benefits, carry out the following procedures.

• Exterior Cleaning

The first centre of electric vehicle efficiency detailing is the exterior cleaning which comes with benefits that go beyond the cosmetics.  Apart from keeping your vehicle in good condition, EV exterior cleaning offers other benefits many of which contribute directly to the vehicle’s efficiency by reducing drag on the vehicle.

As an EV drives through different conditions, various materials substances like dirt, grime and all sorts of debris build up on the vehicle’s skin. When this happens it results in an aerodynamic drag which sometimes reduces the vehicle’s speed significantly.  

A drag on your EV forces the EVs battery and mortar to work extra harder to overcome the resistance brought about by the drag. This in turn results in the vehicle spending more power traveling a shorter distance which translates to higher costs of running the vehicle.

By cleaning your vehicle regularly, you remove these materials build up which can affect the efficiency of the vehicle translating to higher costs of running the car. To evade this drag, clean your vehicle at least three times in a week for regular drives and every time you drive through mud or debris materials.

• Wheel Maintenance

Dirty or misaligned wheels are also another potential cause of EV drag which you need to look out for.  Always inspect your EV wheels for any dirt build up or misalignment which might cause the vehicle to slow down resulting in high power use which again translates to more vehicle running costs.  

By inspecting your EV wheels, you will be able to notice any dirt, debris or misalignments capable of causing the vehicle to slow down.  If you notice any, work on them first enough by either cleaning the wheels or aligning them accordingly before embarking on any journey. If possible, inspect your EV wheels after every two weeks to ensure that they are in a good condition to operate for maximum efficiency.

Maintaining a Suitable Battery Temperature

The heartbeat of any EV is its battery which powers the vehicle movement. This battery just like the other parts of the vehicle requires regular inspections to ensure that it remains within the right condition for optimal performance. When carrying out electric vehicle detailing efficiency on this key EV component here are the areas you need to focus on:

• Heat Dissipation

Every EV battery is very sensitive to any extreme temperatures.  Excessive heat conditions can degrade the battery health reducing its operating capacity. When this happens, the battery might fail to provide enough power to power the vehicle to its full range.

Cleaning the exterior of your battery allows for easy heat dissipation for the battery pack which enables it to operate at a more optimal temperature.  These conditions simple as they may seem have the ability to improve the battery’s performance increasing its lifespan significantly.

• Electric Vehicle Undercarriage Cleaning

While this EV cleaning might not be as important as the others, undercarriage cleaning can have some benefits like the following.  Cleaning the undercarriage of your vehicle allows for easy flow of air around the battery pack allowing the battery to perform efficiently.

Detailing Your Electric Vehicle for Maximum Efficiency

The points shown above speak more to the benefits of regularly detailing your vehicle for enhanced aerodynamic.  However, without knowing how to carry out this process it might not be possible for you to accurately detail your vehicle for optimal efficiency.

• Ceramic Coating

Applying a ceramic coating to your vehicle is one of the reliable ways you can use to detail your vehicle for aerodynamic efficiency.  By applying a ceramic coating to the exterior of your vehicle you create a water repellent surface which makes cleaning your vehicle much easier contributing to a much better aerodynamic surface for maximum efficiency.

• Avoid Excessive Weight on Your EV

EV vehicles are very heavy due to the vehicle’s battery weight. This weight exerts pressure to the vehicle’s wheels which might have a bearing to the general functionality of the vehicle.  By adding more weight in your vehicle you are doing your vehicle more harm than good.

Added weight to your EV only means that your vehicle will struggle to attain its maximum operating performance and efficiency. Should this persist then it will result in a much faster battery drain which might result in the battery degrade much faster than normal.  To avoid this and improve your electric vehicle efficiency, only pack weight that is within the vehicle’s recommended weight.

Electric Vehicle Regular Detailing Schedule

To some people, EV detailing might seem like a good idea but knowing when to carry out this process is the issue.  It is not possible to come up with a standard EV detailing schedule considering that different people use their vehicles differently. As such, it is not easy to give out a standard advisory on this procedure which works out for everyone in the same way.

Being this way, it is only possible to issue recommendations that give ideas of what to look for detailing EVs and not the right schedule for everyone, here are some of them:

• Detail Your Electric Vehicle after Driving Through Wet Conditions

Driving through mud and wet conditions can deposit material debris on your vehicle’s surface which might affect its aerodynamic ability. This debris and material build up might result in some drag on the vehicle forcing it to slow down a bit.  While the compromised aerodynamic ability of the vehicle might not seem like a big problem, it can really result in serious electric vehicle efficiency problems when it combines with other factors.

Thus, it is very important to limit anything causing your vehicle slowing down and if you can do that by cleaning your vehicle regularly the even better. Clean your EV with the right cleaning agents any time you drive through mud and wet conditions to avoid any debris build up.

• Do Monthly EV Detailing At Least Four Times a Month

Any vehicle requires a good wash regularly to keep it in good condition and enhance its appeal. By washing your vehicle so well, you keep it in a condition which leaves it looking good and well set up for the best electric vehicle efficiency. However, it is not just any other clean which results in your vehicle looking amazing, some might not especially those cleaning procedures that are not done right.  

This is why you need to seek the services of a professional cleaner to detail your vehicle. To accurately carry out this procedure find someone with experience at cleaning vehicles similar to yours who knows how to spot those dirty areas and cleaning them accordingly.

Working with machines like a pressure water cleaner can make this process even easier.  You can acquire this machine if you service your vehicle at home but if you cannot afford one then you can take your vehicle to a professional cleaner for these services.

• Consult Your Manufacturer Manual for Cleaning Services

You do not need to go about the process of detailing your vehicle all by yourself, there is help just next to you which you can use.  Your EV user manual is one of the most reliable sources of information on how to carry out a proper motor vehicle detailing that you can consult.

Most EV manufacturers provide a user manual which details how to clean the vehicle in a way that maintains its aerodynamic efficiency. You can go through on when and how to carry a proper cleaning process of your vehicle.

What You Should Not Do When Detailing Your Vehicle

While it is very much advisable to detail your vehicle and more so regularly, carrying out this process inaccurately can result in serious problems rather than the much sought electric vehicle efficiency. As you detail your vehicle, you need to be careful not to touch on things in your vehicle that you should not touch. Touching some of these components can result in serious damages to the components or even injuries to you which might be costly to treatment costs.

To carry out your vehicle detailing process correctly and avoid any serious issues likely to arise from this process consider these guidelines on what you should not do as you clean your EV.

Safety

You should give adequate consideration to the issue of safety when detailing your vehicle for this reason; EVs come with high voltage batteries with electric power capable of seriously harming an individual.  As you detail your vehicle, you should not touch on the battery area alone as that can result in some catastrophic injuries.  

If you intend to carry out an inspection on your EV battery then at least do so with the help of an experienced technician. Handling EV batteries careless cannot just result in injuries but can also damage the EV battery which might require so much money to repair. To avoid these issues, do not go touching your EV battery unless it’s very necessary for the detailing process you are working on.

Be Careful With Water

Electric vehicle detailing for electric vehicle efficiency requires the use of water which you must handle with great of care.  There are some EV parts that are so sensitive that if they came into contact with water then chances are they will be damaged either right away or later.  They include the EV infotainment system, the EV high voltage battery which can rust if splashed with water and others.

Avoid working on these areas with water.  In fact, when working on the interior of any EV ensure that you do so with great care ensuring that you do not do anything that will result in the damage of some vehicle’s parts. You should not create a bigger problem as you try to solve a much smaller issue, handle water with care when detailing your electric vehicle to avoid any mishaps.

Conclusion

Electric vehicle Efficiency is integral in getting the best experience out of your electric car. Detailing your electric vehicle to enhance its aerodynamics can make your EV more efficient making it not just reliable but also energy efficient.