Your skin isn’t the only thing that gets harmed by UV lights and heat from the sun. The heat can cause havoc to vehicles as well. When left in the sun for too long, the interior air temperatures of your car can reach up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. And exterior temperatures can rise above 195 degrees Fahrenheit. With time, this heat damages seats, exterior finishes, dashboards, and it can also affect your vehicle’s entire system.
Additionally, UV rays and heat from the sun can damage your beloved car’s paint, leaving it open to rust and other damage. And since vehicles are not designed as heatproof, caring for and protecting your vehicle against heat is essential.
Effects of Hot Weather On Your Electric Vehicle
1. Significant Impact On Your Driving Range
Extreme weather conditions have a major influence on your driving range – they tend to lower your driving range. With a lower driving range, you’ll need to be prudent about how far you can drive before charging up. Again, this tends to increase the cost of operation, since you’ll need to keep charging frequently.
2. Reduced Reliability and Safety of Your Car’s Tires
Hot weather reduces the safety and reliability of your vehicle’s tires. Improperly inflated tires may overheat during summer, and in the worst scenarios, this may cause a blowout. Additionally, incorrect inflation can minimize your vehicle’s efficiency.
3. Undue Stress on The Battery
Electric vehicle’s batteries deteriorate with time, just like any other kind of battery. Notwithstanding, some circumstances, such as hot climates, can accelerate the degradation. Again, if you use a Direct-current fast charger in hot climates, the rate of your battery degradation is even faster. Rapidly charging your battery leads to higher temperatures because of the accelerated electrical currents. This, in turn, compounds the impact that hot weather has on your battery.
4 Tips to Protect Your Vehicle from Hot Weather
1. Leave Your Vehicle in The Shade
To help your vehicle cope with the heat, always remember to park it under a shade as much as possible. If this becomes difficult, you can consider buying passive cooling systems like a sunshade for the windscreen to keep your vehicle’s temperature down.
2. Wash and Dry Your Vehicle Often
Frequently, washing your car helps get rid of minerals, dead bugs, and debris that get stuck on the external surface of your vehicle. If not well maintained, these materials can react with extreme temperatures, thus causing your vehicle’s paint to fade here and there. It’s therefore crucial to regularly wash and dry your car to get rid of all these materials.
3. Use Paint Protection Film
A paint protection film is among the best investments in your vehicle’s exterior. It’s an invisible film that acts as a shield for your vehicle. It’s like putting an extra dose of sunscreen on your vehicle, and the good news is that it can be put around the entire vehicle. With this film, you can protect your vehicle for an extended period. This helps to lower down the road costs, slow the aging of your car’s skin as well as extend the value of your vehicle for a longer period.
4. Regularly Check Your Tire Pressure
During extreme temperatures, tires are highly likely to blow out due to increased heat. It’s, therefore, best to have your tires checked before the hot weather kicks in and then follow it up with regular checkups during the entire hot season. This helps you to save money on a new tire if your tire blows out.
Final Thoughts
By taking advantage of these simple tips, we’re confident that you’ll note a constantly extended range, all the while minimizing your lifetime maintenance costs.
To learn more about how you can protect your vehicle’s paint as well as the painting trends and products in the market, reach out to us at Wet Paint for a free quote today.
