Potential electric car buyers don’t need to worry about range anxiety, research finds
Electric cars have many positive things going for them. There are no tailpipe emissions, they look like they’re driven straight from the future, and the excitement and sensation of maximum instant torque means that putting your foot down never gets dull.
Despite these plus-points, many motorists are still sceptical over battery-powered vehicles and new research has just highlighted precisely why.
A study of almost 500 drivers by DrivingElectric.com found that running out of power mid-journey is the top worry for prospective electric vehicle buyers.
However, this concern – commonly known as ‘range anxiety’ – is largely unfounded.
An assessment in British driving habits showed that most drivers cover fewer miles over the course of a week than many typical electric cars can manage on a single charge.
This means that most drivers could do a full week’s driving without needing to charge their electric car at all.
Naturally, longer business trips or occasional holidays would require a mid-journey top-up, but normal everyday usage suggests that even a mid-week top-up would be a rarity for electric car drivers.
Official range testing data shows that the top ten performers for distance range from 140-155 miles for a budget model Kia Soul EV, reaching up to a maximum promised range of 393 miles from the high-end Tesla Model S 100D.
A typical week’s driving among 480 motorists found that the average weekly work commute totals 70 miles. Typically, school runs add 24 miles, while social or leisure journeys average at 89 miles, and 82 miles for shopping trips.
Vicky Parrott, associate editor of DrivingElectric.com, said: “So-called range anxiety is consistently named by motorists as a main barrier to going all electric, but the facts suggest that range really shouldn’t worry most of us.
“While many people worry about being able to easily charge-up during a journey, the truth is that electric cars now need charging less frequently for normal use than many of us realise.”
Has mile range put you off buying an electric car in the past? Let us know in the comments.
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