If you’ve ever wondered what happens if your EV runs out of battery, the answer is simple: it doesn’t move. The point is what happens before the batteries run out of charge.
Running out of charge is just as rare as running out of gas or diesel. Honestly, when was the last time you let that happen? Both EVs and combustion vehicles give you plenty of warning well in advance, making it highly unlikely you’ll be caught off guard.
If you’re worried about what happens if your EV runs out of battery, start by listening to your vehicle.
What is the Lowest level of Acceptable Charge?
Fully discharging or depleting a battery to 0% isn’t good for its health and will reduce the battery’s performance more quickly over time. That’s true for just about any rechargeable electronic item including your phone.
The difference is that if an EV’s batteries are completely depleted the vehicle’s 12-volt battery, which provides power from electronic accessories, will be impacted. This could leave you unable to access essential systems when you need them the most.
Furthermore, you may need to replace the 12-volt battery entirely and recharging an EV from 0% can be a lengthy process.
So, it’s recommended not to let a battery drop below 15% to 20% capacity.
What Happens as the Battery Charge Approaches Zero?
Dashboard Warnings
Similar to an internal combustion vehicle, the instrument cluster on your EV’s dash has a gauge indicating the level of battery charge.
As the vehicle’s range dips below a certain level, the vehicle’s instruments notify the driver visually. The lower the range the more noticeable and frequent the warnings become.
When RIZON’s batteries reach 10% capacity, the charge gauge will flash red. For our M-sized vehicles, this happens with approximately 10 miles of remaining charge. For our L-size vehicles, it happens with 13 miles of charge remaining.
The timing of the notification varies depending on the temperature of the high-voltage batteries.
Tortoise Mode
If a driver somehow misses the low-charge warnings, the vehicle will eventually enable “tortoise mode,” also know as “turtle mode.” This is a feature specific to EVs and is designed to prevent the vehicle from suddenly stopping and leaving the driver stranded.
Once enabled, the tortoise mode reduces the vehicle’s power and speed, restricting battery output, allowing the driver to pull over safely or cruise slowly to a nearby charging station.
When Does Tortoise Mode Activate?
Depending on the manufacturer an EV will enable tortoise mode when the battery reaches between 10% to 1% of its charge.
When a RIZON truck’s batteries dip below 10%, the tortoise indicator will light up and tortoise mode will be enabled.
How Far Can You Drive in Tortoise Mode Before Your EV Runs Out of Battery?
The answer depends on the remaining charge when turtle mode kicks in. If it automatically enables at 5% charge, it’s probably best to pull over to the side of the road.
However, if you think you can reach a charging station you should take into account the temperature, as very hot or cold weather can shorten the range.
What’s more, if the vehicle is driving up an incline, the tortoise mode may not provide enough power to traverse the hill if the gradient is too steep.
What You Can Do to Avoid Running Out of Charge
Charge your batteries regularly!
While this might seem obvious, if you don’t drive your electric vehicle for a week or more, it might not occur to you to do so. However, if you don’t charge your vehicle at least once a week, the charge gauge may not display correctly.
Fully charging the batteries regularly ensures the charge and travel range display correctly.
Plan Your Routes and Charge Time
For truck drivers and fleet operators, planning or reserving specific routes ensures your electric vehicles are deployed for suitable operations. However, just as important is assuring the vehicles have adequate charge time.
It also never a bad idea to carry a portable charger in case of emergencies.
For more tips, check out our article on range anxiety.
Telematics to the Rescue
If your vehicle utilizes telematics, especially in the case of commercial vehicles like RIZON, a fleet manager can utilize the software to monitor the range status of fleet vehicles and notify the driver if the batteries are low.
Our vehicles come equipped with RIZONCONNECT, a proprietary telematics software.
At the End of the Day
Most drivers have never run out of gas.
Worrying if your EV runs out of battery is almost as silly as worrying about your vehicle running out of fuel.
The only way to do so is out of flagrant neglect, and EVs are no different. While it’s true that electric vehicles lack the range of most ICE vehicles, an EV driver would be made sufficiently aware of the state of their vehicle’s charge before the batteries become depleted.
If an EV runs out of batteries the vehicle will do everything in its power to make sure the driver is aware and safe.