The operation and driving of an electric vehicle is similar to driving a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, except for the following differences:

The electric vehicle is propelled using two electric motors.
The electric motors require energy supplied via the vehicle’s high voltage battery.
The high voltage battery requires recharging using an external source. See VEHICLE CHARGING OVERVIEW.
Regenerative braking is used to recover energy and charge the high voltage battery. See REGENERATIVE BRAKING.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE COMPONENTS

WARNING
The electric vehicle components should only be serviced or repaired by qualified personnel. Specialist tools and personal protection equipment are required for working on electric vehicles. Unqualified personnel can potentially cause serious personal injury or death.

The main components of an electric vehicle system are as follows:

Charging port: Provides a connection point for the vehicle charging cable.
High voltage battery: Stores and supplies the electric power for vehicle operation.
Front electric motor: Provides the torque to drive the front axle.
Rear electric motor: Provides the torque to drive the rear axle.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SAFETY

WARNING
Never disassemble, remove, or replace high voltage components, cables, or connectors. Tampering with the high voltage system can cause severe burns or electric shock, which may potentially result in serious injury or death.

The high voltage cables and connectors are colored orange for identification purposes and cannot be serviced. If maintenance or repair is required, always consult a retailer/authorized repairer. Failure to do so, may affect the vehicle’s warranty.

The electric vehicle system is insulated and protected with covers and shields. The result is that:

The high voltage system is insulated from the vehicle.
The high voltage system is protected from the environment.
Access is prevented to unqualified personnel.

The vehicle monitors the integrity of the electric vehicle system. If a fault is detected, the instrument panel displays a relevant warning message and may also illuminate a warning lamp. See ELECTRIC VEHICLE WARNING MESSAGES.

ACOUSTIC VEHICLE ALERT SYSTEM (AVAS)

The Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) automatically emits an external synthesized sound to enable pedestrians to be audibly aware of the vehicle’s presence.

NOTES
AVAS only operates when the vehicle is driven at speeds of less than 19 mph (30 km/h).

DRIVING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

WARNING
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that the vehicle is stationary. Select P (Park). Make sure the Electric Parking Brake (EPB) is engaged. Switch off the vehicle’s electrical system. Failure to do so may cause the vehicle to move unexpectedly, which may potentially result in death or serious injury.

CAUTION
The vehicle must be stationary before making a drive selection. Failure to do so can potentially result in serious damage to the vehicle’s driveline system.

CAUTION
Do not press the accelerator pedal when making a drive selection. Doing so can potentially result in serious damage to the vehicle’s driveline system.

NOTES
To maintain control of the vehicle, it is recommended to press the brake pedal during each drive selection.

The instrument panel displays the current drive selection.

Operate as follows:

D (Drive) button: Press to drive the vehicle forward.
NOTES

The electric vehicle system does not have multiple forward driving gears.
N (Neutral) button: Press to stop propulsion energy being supplied to the vehicle’s driveline system.
R (Reverse) button: Press to drive the vehicle backward.
NOTES
The vehicle must be stationary with the brake pedal pressed, before R can be selected.
P (Park) button: Press when Park is required.

With the vehicle creep feature switched on, the vehicle automatically moves from a standstill when the braking system is released, with D or R selected. See VEHICLE CREEP.

The brake hold feature prevents the vehicle rolling when on an incline and pulling away from a standstill. See BRAKE HOLD.

NOTES
If the driver’s door is opened and brake released while stationary with R, N or D selected, the vehicle automatically defaults back to P. To continue vehicle movement with the door open, re-select R, N or D. Further automatic shifts to P will be inhibited while the door remains open.

INCREASE RANGE POTENTIAL

Use the following guidelines to contribute towards improving the electric vehicle driving range:

Only carry items that are required for each journey. Excess weight in the vehicle reduces energy economy.
Make sure the vehicle’s tires are inflated to the correct pressure. A correctly inflated tire reduces the rolling resistance of the vehicle. See TIRE PRESSURES.
Drive with the windows closed to reduce the vehicle’s air resistance.
Limit the use of vehicle features to improve energy economy. See RANGE IMPACT.
Anticipate the flow of traffic ahead to avoid the need for heavy braking. Avoiding heavy breaking can help increase energy recovered through regenerative braking. See REGENERATIVE BRAKING.
Smooth and gradual acceleration improves energy economy.
Maintain an appropriate average speed to improve energy economy.
Set a departure time to precondition the cabin temperature and the high voltage battery to its optimum operating temperature when charging the vehicle via an external charging station. See DEPARTURE TIMES.

To increase the range potential of the electric vehicle, make sure to also read the following electric vehicle sections of the Owner’s Handbook. See ECO DATA and MY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV).

ELECTRIC VEHICLE RANGE PREDICTION

The Driving range icon indicates the predicted driving range.

NOTES
The driving range value is instantaneously updated when some vehicle features are switched on or off, e.g., Air Conditioning (A/C), heated seats, or driving modes.

The electric vehicle driving range is displayed via:

The touchscreen. See TOUCHSCREEN HOME MENU.
The CHARGING and ENERGY menu screens. See MY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV).
The RANGE IMPACT menu screen. See RANGE IMPACT.

Many factors can affect the electric vehicle driving range, including:

The current charge level of the high voltage battery.
The current driving style. See DRIVING STYLE.
The current temperature of the high voltage battery, e.g., range may be reduced in colder conditions.
The energy consumption of vehicle features that are currently switched on. See RANGE IMPACT.
The route characteristics, including road grades and speed limits. The navigation system can display a visual overview of the current driving range prediction. See NAVIGATION OVERVIEW .

VEHICLE CREEP

The vehicle creep setting is accessed via the EV option within APPS. Select EV, then select the Settings icon to access the menu shown above. See APPS SCREEN.

With the vehicle creep feature switched on, the vehicle automatically moves from a standstill when the brake pedal is released, if:

D (Drive) is selected, or
R (Reverse) is selected.

With the vehicle creep feature switched off, the vehicle does not automatically move from a standstill with D or R selected. The accelerator pedal must be pressed to move the vehicle.

Selecting the high regenerative braking setting and switching off the vehicle creep feature can reduce the frequent alternating operation between the brake and accelerator pedals. Touch the EV set-up icon from the MY EV screen to display the vehicle creep settings. See REGENERATIVE BRAKING and MY ELECTRIC VEHICLE (EV).

NOTES
The vehicle creep feature can be adjusted only with the vehicle stationary and in Park P.

Select the EV Settings option to access vehicle creep and regenerative braking options.
Vehicle creep on/off toggle.
Regenerative braking effect toggle – choose High or Low setting.

The selected status is retained even after the vehicle’s electrical system is switched off and on again.

VEHICLE CREEP PERFORMANCE

The vehicle creep feature only operates if:

The vehicle creep feature is switched on. See VEHICLE CREEP.
The electric motors are running, i.e., confirmed when the power gauge displays READY. See POWER GAUGE.
D (Drive) or R (Reverse) is selected.
The vehicle’s braking system is released, i.e., the brake pedal or the Electric Parking Brake (EPB).

The vehicle creep feature maintains a very low vehicle speed until the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal is used.

REGENERATIVE BRAKING

Regenerative braking occurs when the vehicle is moving and the accelerator pedal is released. During regenerative braking, the vehicle slows down by converting the energy of motion into electrical energy. This energy is supplied to the high voltage battery to increase vehicle range. The amount of regenerated energy increases up to a maximum level, as the brake pedal is applied. For higher requested levels of braking, the vehicle’s foundation brakes are also applied.

The maximum level of regenerated energy may be temporarily reduced in certain events. For example, when the high voltage battery is fully charged or when driving the vehicle in very high or low ambient temperatures. Any reduction in regenerative braking capability is indicated in the power gauge as a derate marker. See POWER GAUGE.

The default level of regenerative braking, experienced when the accelerator pedal is released, can be configured between a high and a low setting, as follows:

Touch the settings icon on the EV app screen to display the regenerative braking settings. See APPS SCREEN.
Select the required Low or High soft key (3) on the Regenerative braking menu option.

The low setting provides a level of deceleration that is similar to combustion engine-powered vehicles. Compared to the high setting, the low setting results in the vehicle traveling a greater distance before stopping, with the accelerator pedal released.

The high setting provides a higher level of deceleration, compared to the low setting, due to an increase in the regenerative braking applied. With the high setting selected, the vehicle’s deceleration is increased when partially releasing the accelerator pedal. The high setting can result in a reduction of the alternating operation of the brake and accelerator pedals while driving.

Switch the vehicle creep feature off to allow the vehicle to decelerate to a complete stop, with the accelerator pedal released. See VEHICLE CREEP.
The power gauge displays the instantaneous amount of regenerated energy. See POWER GAUGE.
The trip computer can display the total amount of regenerated energy for the current trip. See TRIP COMPUTER.
The touchscreen can display the total amount of regenerated energy for previous journeys or trips. See HISTORY.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE WARNING MESSAGES

If the instrument panel displays an electric vehicle system-related critical warning message, a critical message warning lamp illuminates and an audible tone also sounds. See CRITICAL WARNING MESSAGE (RED).

Critical warning message	Action
Please recharge vehicle. Low Power mode on	The charge level for the high voltage battery is very low. The vehicle automatically enables the low power mode feature to help improve the current driving range. If possible, drive to a charging station to charge the battery. Alternatively, seek qualified assistance. See ELECTRIC VEHICLE RANGE PREDICTION and LOW POWER MODE.
Stop safely. Vehicle shutting down	Stop the vehicle, and seek qualified assistance.
High voltage system fault detected. Vehicle will not start or charge	Contact a retailer/authorized repairer as soon as possible.
Stop safely. Loss of drive	Stop the vehicle at the nearest safe location. Contact a retailer/authorized repairer.

If the instrument panel displays an electric vehicle system related general warning message, observe the required action in the following table:

General warning message	Action
OK to drive with caution. High voltage system fault detected	The vehicle can still be driven. However, contact a retailer/authorized repairer as soon as possible for assistance.
Please recharge vehicle	The charge level for the high voltage battery is low. Calculate the distance to a charging station using the remaining driving range. Drive the vehicle to a charging station to recharge the battery. See ELECTRIC VEHICLE RANGE PREDICTION.
OK to drive with caution. Restricted performance	The vehicle can still be driven with extra care. Contact a retailer/authorized repairer if the problem persists.