- Essential features you should be looking for in an EV
- Which options could actually hinder your car's electric range?
- Heat pump and remote preconditioning get the thumbs up
- Panoramic roof could reduce range
These are some of the essential features you should be looking for in an electric vehicle - and which bits of kit you could potentially ignore.
New EVs are expensive, and unless you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket, you might want to trim back that extensive options list at the checkout; who needs a coffee machine or a fragrance-dispensing package in their car, anyway?
Some car manufacturers offer tech that’ll truly improve the ownership experience, while others throw in an expensive option that makes little difference - or worse, can douse your EV's range.
Here are some options you should consider - and others that could remain on the shelf.
EV features worth considering:
Heat pump
Heat pumps are thermodynamic witchcraft: rather than creating heat as many think, they move it around - essentially working like a fridge in reverse.
Heat pumps feed waste heat from the car’s battery to its interior to heighten efficiency during colder weather. In warmer weather, a heat pump can operate in reverse to cool the battery, thus improving the car’s range and efficiency.
Some EV manufacturers offer heat pumps as standard, while others only add them to options lists or top-spec models.
Car groups that equip their EVs with heat pumps out of the box include Tesla, BMW, Porsche, and Renault (Renault 5, 4, Megane E-Tech, and Scenic E-Tech), while others only include it on select models.
Whether you need one depends on your circumstances. Heat pumps are ideal for motorway-mile stackers, those without access to a home charger, or those living somewhere colder.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L)
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Whether you should opt for this purely depends on your lifestyle.
If you enjoy camping or have a mysterious habit of mowing other people’s lawns, then V2L could be a worthy option. It works by inverting the car’s power to 230V, like that found in your home. This basically means your car becomes a giant power bank.
Choosing this option means your car will either come with an adapter that plugs into your car’s charging slot, allowing you to power household appliances, or with dedicated internal sockets in the boot.
However, too much mowing or excessive drink cooling via a camping fridge will leave a dent in the car’s range.
Remote heating/preconditioning
There's nothing worse than being woken by an alarm at 6 am only to find your car has frosted over, and you have 20 minutes to shower, have breakfast, and leave for work.
What if your car could automatically defrost your windows for you? Well, many can.
Most EV manufacturers offer this as standard, but some still require a subscription to access. To be frost-free, you need first to download the manufacturer's phone app, enter your car's details, and set up preconditioning.
This usually means you can set your car's cabin temperature, turn on heated seats, and defrost the windows via a schedule - it's a godsend.
There’s also a safety aspect here, as the car doesn’t need to be unlocked and left running to cool or heat the cabin (which is also illegal, btw).
360-degree camera systems
You've invested in your EV, so why not protect it?
Once you've experienced a 360-degree camera, you won't go back. Like the heat pump, these systems are automotive wizardry. They provide a bird's-eye view of your car, which can make you think a drone is stalking you at first.
This clever system pairs multiple cameras around the car to provide an overhead view, making parking your vehicle much easier.
Many groups offer this as a standard feature, while others only include parking sensors and/or a reversing camera. If the 360-degree camera is important, you may need to purchase a technology pack, such as Audi's, for an additional £4,595.
Of course, whether you need one is entirely your choice. They can make tucking a large car into a tight parking space much easier, though they often feel unnecessary on smaller cars.
Matrix/adaptive headlights
While it's often included as standard nowadays, some groups may still include it in a package alongside headlight washers and other gizmos.
It’s still early days for this technology, but it can make a large difference when driving at night.
Adaptive headlights often track steering wheel movement using electric motors: point your wheels to the right, and the headlights will turn right and so on.
When traffic approaches, a nifty system will automatically dip its main beam to avoid accidentally performing laser eye surgery on oncoming drivers.
Matrix systems take things up a notch by packing LED segments into a light cluster.
Put simply, a camera detects vehicles you’re following, oncoming cars and reflective road signs and automatically shuts off the high-beam LEDs. It’s quite a cool thing, although leaving your main beam on takes some getting used to.
EV features potentially not worth considering:
Panoramic roofs
Yes, they look cool and fill the cabin with light, but the novelty may wear off, especially in warmer and colder weather.
In the summer, panoramic roofs can create a greenhouse effect, while in the winter they can cause heat loss, forcing your air conditioner to work harder and reducing your EV's range.
Likewise, many panoramic roofs can shave a fair bit off headroom. And then there's the price: manufacturers typically ask between £1,200 and £4,000.
Large alloy wheels
Massive alloy wheels might look cool on a 1960s Cadillac, but speccing them for your EV may leave you disappointed and with less money in the bank.
Going larger often also means sacrificing ride comfort, because the lower tyre profile has less cushioning, leaving your passengers’ spines to soak up the bumps.
There's also a higher risk of damage from kerbing and deeper potholes, more noise at speed, and, in many cases, reduced range due to increased rolling resistance.
Why not get nicer paint or a flashier interior instead?
Digital mirrors
Also known as camera mirrors, these systems replace conventional mirrors with cameras.
I’m sure it works for some but, for me, it's tough to live with.
Digital mirrors often work by feeding a live image through to two screens found inside the car.
But you might experience a delay in the feed, the cameras can struggle with darkness, and they can prove tricky to adjust.
Performance packs
We've never needed to go from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds, but such figures, once reserved for supercars, are now found in sub-£40k EVs.
I've tested a few vomit-comets in this job, and I have not wanted to buy any of them. Most EVs will manage the same sprint in 6-8 seconds - that's plenty for the daily commute.
You’ll pay a good bit extra for a dual-motor performance model, but you do at least get pub bragging rights - and energy companies will be delighted as you funnel your earnings into rapid chargers after taking all your mates for a spin.
Premium audio upgrades
I adore music - I even have a music degree - but not once have I gone weak at the knees over how semitones sound through a £4k audio system. But again, this is a preference.
If you need more speakers, a dedicated subwoofer, nicer-looking tweeters and cones, digital signal processing and soundstage calibration, then go for it. Most EVs are quiet, meaning you can easily pick out each detail, too.
However, most modern cars come with an adequate sound system that still lets you enjoy the Rolling Stones at their finest and play around with equaliser settings.
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