Electric car drivers can make use of ‘magic’ feature to avoid frost

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Following a week of freezing temperatures, drivers are being warned ahead of the next cold snap to ensure they are not breaking the law. Pre-conditioning the vehicle could save drivers a staggering 15 hours worth of defrosting time through the winter.

Pre-conditioning an electric vehicle allows EV drivers to schedule their departure time in advance and warm the temperature of the cabin.

The useful feature brings the cabin up to the desired temperature, defrosts and de-mists the driver’s windows.

It also warms the battery, ensuring that it is operating at peak performance, a feature they described as “magic”.

A spokesperson for GRIDSERVE said: “Not only does pre-conditioning an electric vehicle save time, it also stops drivers from making common mistakes when attempting to defrost their car in a hurry.

“Time-saving mistakes like using boiling water to clear ice and snow risks cracking the glass and using wiper blades to clear the windscreen only damages them when they’re frozen.”

GRIDSERVE used the estimated 15 minutes it takes to defrost an average car and calculated the cumulative hours that could be wasted during freezing temperatures. 

The 62 working days throughout the winter months mean that British drivers spend almost 1,000 minutes – or 15 hours – in the cold and dark scraping ice and brushing snow off their vehicles, unless they are an EV driver.

Preconditioning the car can also prevent motorists from being on the receiving end of a winter driving fine.

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Drivers often don’t have the time to defrost the full car and set off with a small portion of the window clear or snow still on the roof of the vehicle. 

This dangerous behaviour is known as “portholing” and is punishable with a fine.

Portholing poses the risk of snow or ice moving on the windscreen and completely blocking your view of the road. 

The behaviour receives an on-the-spot fine £60 fine and three points on your driving licence. 

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It’s not just physical barriers that risk receiving fines, either – not de-misting the car fully can also put you at risk of a portholing fine.

GRIDSERVE is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to making EV charging as easy and accessible as possible with the inclusion of its Electric Forecourts on the fuelService app.

The fuelService app was developed to help those with accessibility needs to be able to fuel or charge their car. Using the app, drivers can search by fuel type and location. 

Once the driver has selected one of its Electric Forecourts, fuelService will contact the GRIDSERVE gurus and ask them if they can help. 

Once assistance is confirmed, all the driver needs to do is arrive at the charger and let the app know they have arrived. To keep drivers up to date, the fuelService app will let drivers know how long assistance will be.

GRIDSERVE is committed to making charging easily accessible, not just at the Electric Forecourts but across the Electric Highway. The Electric Forecourt designs include disabled parking, access ramps, accessible washrooms, lifts to access all areas and braille throughout the interior of the building.

Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE, said: “Accessibility is key to ensuring that the transition to electric is inclusive for all. As we break new ground in EV charging, access is at the forefront of the design and construction of our flagship products; the award-winning Electric Forecourts and our advanced Electric Hubs. 

“We recognise the need to consider how we provide drivers with the right information to make an informed decision about charging on their journeys. We welcome any feedback from drivers on how we can make the charging experience as easy and accessible as possible.”

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