diff --git a/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/__init__.py b/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/__init__.py
index 432569a..f3ceeb8 100644
--- a/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/__init__.py
+++ b/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/__init__.py
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from datetime import timedelta
+import functools
 import logging
-import asyncio
+import threading
 import time
+
 from weconnect import weconnect
 from weconnect.elements.vehicle import Vehicle
 from weconnect.elements.control_operation import ControlOperation
@@ -47,13 +49,9 @@ async def async_setup_entry(hass: HomeAssistant, entry: ConfigEntry) -> bool:
     """Set up Volkswagen We Connect ID from a config entry."""
 
     hass.data.setdefault(DOMAIN, {})
-    _we_connect = weconnect.WeConnect(
+    _we_connect = get_we_connect_api(
         username=entry.data["username"],
         password=entry.data["password"],
-        updateAfterLogin=False,
-        loginOnInit=False,
-        timeout=10,
-        updatePictures=False,
     )
 
     await hass.async_add_executor_job(_we_connect.login)
@@ -183,11 +181,49 @@ async def volkswagen_id_set_ac_charge_speed(call: ServiceCall) -> None:
     return True
 
 
+@functools.lru_cache(maxsize=1)
+def get_we_connect_api(username: str, password: str) -> weconnect.WeConnect:
+    """Return a cached weconnect api object, shared with the config flow."""
+    return weconnect.WeConnect(
+        username=username,
+        password=password,
+        updateAfterLogin=False,
+        loginOnInit=False,
+        timeout=10,
+        updatePictures=False,
+    )
+
+
+_last_successful_api_update_timestamp: float = 0.0
+_last_we_connect_api: weconnect.WeConnect | None = None
+_update_lock = threading.Lock()
+
+
 def update(
     api: weconnect.WeConnect
 ) -> None:
-    """API call to update vehicle information."""
-    api.update(updatePictures=False)
+    """API call to update vehicle information.
+
+    This function is called on its own thread and it is possible for multiple
+    threads to call it at the same time, before an earlier weconnect update()
+    call has finished. When the integration is loaded, multiple platforms
+    (binary_sensor, number...) may each call async_config_entry_first_refresh()
+    that in turn calls hass.async_add_executor_job() that creates a thread.
+    """
+    # pylint: disable=global-statement
+    global _last_successful_api_update_timestamp, _last_we_connect_api
+
+    # Acquire a lock so that only one thread can call api.update() at a time.
+    with _update_lock:
+        # Skip the update() call altogether if it was last succesfully called
+        # in the past 24 seconds (80% of the minimum update interval of 30s).
+        elapsed = time.monotonic() - _last_successful_api_update_timestamp
+        if elapsed <= 24 and api is _last_we_connect_api:
+            return
+        api.update(updatePictures=False)
+        _last_successful_api_update_timestamp = time.monotonic()
+        _last_we_connect_api = api
+
 
 def start_stop_charging(
     call_data_vin, api: weconnect.WeConnect, operation: str
@@ -331,6 +367,9 @@ async def async_unload_entry(hass: HomeAssistant, entry: ConfigEntry) -> bool:
     unload_ok = await hass.config_entries.async_unload_platforms(entry, PLATFORMS)
     if unload_ok:
         hass.data[DOMAIN].pop(entry.entry_id)
+        get_we_connect_api.cache_clear()
+        global _last_we_connect_api  # pylint: disable=global-statement
+        _last_we_connect_api = None
 
     return unload_ok
 
diff --git a/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/config_flow.py b/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/config_flow.py
index bddcc3b..dc93aac 100644
--- a/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/config_flow.py
+++ b/custom_components/volkswagen_we_connect_id/config_flow.py
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
 from typing import Any
 
 import voluptuous as vol
-from weconnect import weconnect
 from weconnect.errors import AuthentificationError
 
 from homeassistant import config_entries
@@ -13,6 +12,7 @@
 from homeassistant.data_entry_flow import FlowResult
 from homeassistant.exceptions import HomeAssistantError
 
+from . import get_we_connect_api, update
 from .const import DOMAIN, DEFAULT_UPDATE_INTERVAL_SECONDS, MINIMUM_UPDATE_INTERVAL_SECONDS
 
 _LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -31,12 +31,9 @@
 async def validate_input(hass: HomeAssistant, data: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     """Validate the user input allows us to connect."""
 
-    we_connect = weconnect.WeConnect(
+    we_connect = get_we_connect_api(
         username=data["username"],
         password=data["password"],
-        updateAfterLogin=False,
-        loginOnInit=False,
-        updatePictures=False,
     )
 
     await hass.async_add_executor_job(we_connect.login)
@@ -46,11 +43,6 @@ async def validate_input(hass: HomeAssistant, data: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str,
 
     return {"title": "Volkswagen We Connect ID"}
 
-def update(
-    api: weconnect.WeConnect
-) -> None:
-    """API call to update vehicle information."""
-    api.update(updatePictures=False)
 
 class ConfigFlow(config_entries.ConfigFlow, domain=DOMAIN):
     """Handle a config flow for Volkswagen We Connect ID."""