![]() Years earlier, after a car fire caused by battery damage from road debris, Tesla added plates underneath its cars to better protect the batteries. Tesla faced this last year after two highly publicized battery fires, which spurred it to update its vehicle software. “There will be a full court press for the automakers to get a handle on this because this is their future market and they need to address it and they will,” she said. Reports of vehicles catching fire are obviously bad on both counts. But they get attention because electric vehicle technology is still considered relatively new.Īnd that has the potential to turn prospective buyers away from the burgeoning market for electric cars, said Michelle Krebs, director of automotive relations at AutoTrader.ĪutoTrader’s parent company, Cox Automotive, regularly surveys car shoppers about their priorities when looking for a new vehicle and the top two are always dependability and safety, Krebs said. Photographer: Michael Short/Bloomberg via Getty Images Michael Short/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesĬalifornia governor wants all new cars sold in the state to be zero-emissions by 2035īy all indications, electric car battery fires remain infrequent occurrences, even compared to gasoline and diesel fires. California's worst fire season on record is about to ramp up as a hot, dry autumn promises even more destruction, blackouts and evacuations. In general, a slow and considered approach to driving, anticipating the road ahead, is better for your car and the environment.Smoke and fog fills the air over vehicles driving along Interstate 580 highway in Oakland, California, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. There may be a time when you need to perform an emergency stop, in which case sudden braking is essential.īut consistent late braking will place more strain on the braking system, wearing out your pads and discs faster, as well as costing you more fuel in the process. When performing hill-starts, leave the car in neutral with the handbrake on until you’re ready to move. Make sure your foot has left the clutch pedal – using the off-clutch footrest, if fitted. Poor clutch control will cause excessive wear, shortening the life of the plate. Riding the clutch happens typically when a driver fails to take their foot off the pedal after changing gear, or when attempting to do a hill-start. Riding the clutch is a bad idea, especially as it’s considered to be a ‘wear and tear’ item, and therefore not covered by a warranty. This gives the oil the time to warm and circulate around the engine, avoiding potential damage and undue wear and tear. In reality, all vehicles start from cold, so the critical thing is to avoid revving the engine until it is warmed up. Some folk may tell you that making regular short journeys is terrible for your car because the engine oil never fully warms up. The same can be said about crunching the gears in a manual car too, so it's advisable to come to a complete stop before switching in to reverse gear (although most modern cars won't allow you to switch without stopping anyway). Any work on the automatic transmission will be labour-intensive, and therefore costly. Shifting gear before coming to a stop will cause wear and tear on the transmission band, rather than the brake discs and pads, which are serviceable items. The automatic ‘box is designed to shift gears – leave the brakes to do the stopping. Shifting between reverse and drive (and vice versa) in a car fitted with an automatic gearbox is really bad for the transmission. ![]() Shifting from drive to reverse before stopping 10 checks to prevent a breakdown this winterĦ.Everything you need to know about brake pads.So it's always advisable to leave the golf clubs at home when not needed and try to travel as light as possible. It's also worth noting that while leaving unnecessary items - like golf clubs or gym gear in the boot of you car - won't add increased strain on your car's parts, it will affect your car's fuel economy and possibly your car's emissions output. The greater the weight, the more strain you’re placing on the brakes, suspension and drivetrain. Your owner's manual will often tell you your car's maximum load weight, which will give you an indication of how much luggage you should carry as a total - an exercise often put to the test when moving house or going on a long holiday. Modern cars are designed to carry heavy loads, but that doesn't mean they can't be overloaded. ![]()
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