With more and more electric vehicles on the road, drivers must pay attention to additional dashboard symbols. Just as with regular cars, any time one lights up red you should find a safe location where to stop immediately.
Electric vehicles (EVs) typically emit noise to warn pedestrians when approaching, however some manufacturers provide drivers the option of disabling this feature and turn off its alert tone; when in operation, this symbol illuminates.
Pedestrian Warning
Electric cars can be notoriously quiet when in motion, and this can present problems for pedestrians who might not hear your vehicle approaching. To try and prevent collisions with pedestrians, they use a special system that emits an electronic sound at low speeds – some models allow you to disable this feature; otherwise if its light illuminates this indicates there is an issue with external sound system and your car should be taken to a specialist for service.
If you encounter this symbol, it indicates that regenerative braking is malfunctioning. Regenerative braking works by turning any kinetic energy into power that is then used to recharge the battery; when active, this feature converts this into energy for recharge purposes and can lead to significant range loss if it stops functioning as intended. To alert drivers that something may be amiss, this warning usually accompanies either an onboard dashboard message or loud beep that signal something is amiss.
This symbol may be less alarming than others because it usually displays in amber instead of red; nevertheless, this warning should still be taken seriously as it indicates there may be an issue with your vehicle’s traction battery and needs to be taken to an authorized garage as soon as possible before engine problems arise while driving.
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more widespread on UK roads, it is wise to familiarise yourself with their dashboard warning lights. While many are similar to what can be found on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, there may be some unique ones too. With that in mind, we have developed a handy quiz which tests your knowledge of some of the more commonly seen hybrid and electric vehicle dashboard warning lights; with our assistance you will understand what each symbol means as well as whether or not your hybrid or electric vehicle requires urgent servicing from an approved mechanic.
Battery Flash
As more people switch from conventional petrol and diesel vehicles to electric ones through our car salary sacrifice schemes, it’s vital that they are fully aware of any dashboard warning symbols which may appear. Red warning symbols indicate serious issues requiring immediate action (like battery temperature issues). Yellow and amber signals signal issues which need addressing but can wait; green, black, and blue symbols provide general information without being taken too seriously.
As with hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles feature a power reserve indicator to display how much energy you have left and an estimate of distance you can cover before your battery runs out of charge. Some EVs also incorporate a battery flash symbol as an additional warning indicator – similar to how low fuel warning lights on conventional petrol or diesel cars alert drivers of about 5 percent charge or less and signal their need to stop driving until their battery has fully charged up again.
An electric vehicle’s traction battery cooling system works to maintain optimal battery temperatures, so as to not cause flashing battery warning symbols on the dashboard. When this occurs, however, you must immediately consult with a specialist as soon as it appears on your dashboard to ensure its safe driving conditions are restored as soon as possible.
An electric car‘s warning symbol for electrical faults is often represented by a spanner – similar to engine warning lights in traditional petrol or diesel vehicles, it can indicate electrical problems with pedal sensors or 12V battery, traction system errors or battery charging problems, as well as general malfunctions which require specialist attention.
An electric vehicle’s quietness is one of its key assets, yet can also present potential downsides in certain circumstances, such as pedestrians not hearing its approach. Therefore, certain models come equipped with a sound emitter activated when driving to help pedestrians hear it coming and prevent collisions; should this sound emitter not function correctly then an illuminated Pedestrian Alert symbol may appear on your dashboard.
Battery Thermometer
Since oil checks and tune-ups no longer suffice, hybrid and electric cars require different kinds of maintenance than their predecessors did. Luckily, manufacturers of EVs have come together on an easy-to-understand set of dashboard symbols that help drivers understand what maintenance their car needs – these categories typically fall under red, amber and green categories; here are some of them you might see:
When this symbol illuminates, it indicates that your car’s battery power has reached an unsustainable low point. Either you must stop and charge before continuing driving again or it will switch over to engine power until your battery can recharge its charges – sometimes this warning light may also include the tortoise symbol (described above).
If your electric vehicle (EV) dashboard displays this symbol, it indicates that its battery has become overheated. Similar to how internal combustion engines display engine temperatures, your EV uses a thermometer to display when its battery has become too hot – an important safety feature designed to prevent overheating and potential battery damage.
As soon as a car starts overheating, its hazard lights should turn on to alert pedestrians and other drivers nearby that your engine needs cooling down – this is also another good way of keeping yourself and others safe by either gradually increasing speed or stopping completely.
Many modern electric cars feature the “spanner symbol” to indicate any general fault which requires immediate attention, from battery issues or charging system faults to electrical concerns; often this message appears on the display screen indicating what to do next.
If you see this on your EV dashboard, chances are it’s Eco Mode which optimises how far your car can travel by reducing performance. This feature helps ease range anxiety while still enjoying a smooth and quiet ride – often labeled ‘Eco Mode’ to clarify exactly what this feature entails.
Exclamation Mark
As electric vehicles and hybrid cars become more prevalent on UK roads, thanks to government initiatives like Road to Zero strategy, it is beneficial for drivers to familiarise themselves with any of the various symbols that may appear on their dashboards. Some warning lights can be alarming; knowing what they mean may help drivers address issues quickly before they escalate further.
One of the most iconic electric car symbols is the battery icon, which may resemble an AA battery or classic petrol pump sign. When this symbol illuminates, it means that power reserve has fallen dangerously low and that drivers need to find a safe location where they can stop quickly to charge up.
EV drivers must always respond promptly if an electric battery symbol appears alongside a message stating, “Regenerative Braking”, as this indicates the vehicle is using its electrical system to convert braking energy into power that will recharge its traction battery. When this warning light illuminates, drivers of electric vehicles should immediately brake as failure to do so could result in dangerous collisions with pedestrians and other road users.
Similar to the engine symbol, which can also display messages indicating issues with traction or battery systems or overheated motors, the engine symbol indicates it is time to visit an authorized garage for repairs and maintenance. Depending on its severity, this indicator could turn red causing either complete shutdown or reduced performance from your car.
Finally, the spanner symbol typically indicates a fault with the vehicle that can be further investigated on its display screen. Instructions will often follow which detail what should be done next; European French uses an exclamation mark instead of using full stops (Viens ici! in English), while in German full stops may be more prevalent.