What is Electric Vehicle Range Anxiety?
There is a new type of emotion that new EV drivers experience, one that can only be tamed when your EV battery is at 60% charge or higher. That new emotion is called “range anxiety.” Range anxiety is common for many new and seasoned EV drivers. Range anxiety occurs when an EV driver starts to worry about being stranded somewhere without a place to re-charge when their battery charge is running low.
Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car owners feel a similar anxiety with their gas powered vehicle when the fuel gauge is hovering below empty, and there is no gas station in sight. The main difference though is that a gas station is really never too far away, whereas electric vehicle charging stations are far and few between, and many are often occupied.
For most drivers looking to go electric, range anxiety shouldn’t be a deal breaker. JD Power states that on average in the U.S. vehicles travel 40 miles a day, and an electric vehicle with a 120-mile range battery is sufficient for most. Here are a few other reasons range anxiety shouldn’t stop you from going electric.
Average EV Range Growth
Electric vehicle range is steadily getting better and better. A large number of electric vehicle models are entering the market with batteries that charge faster and last longer. One of the earliest electric vehicle models, the Nissan Leaf, in 2017 could only go as far as 84 miles on a full charge. In 2021, the average range of an electric vehicle is around 181 miles.
Commercial Charger Availability
In the United States there are around 44,000 public charging stations strategically placed in areas where your battery could run low. This number is expected to grow very quickly as the government seeks to support electric vehicle infrastructure.
Charging At Home
When you purchase an electric vehicle, it is strongly recommended that you install a Level 2 charger in your home. This is the easiest way to put your mind at ease when it comes to keeping your battery charged. A Level 2 charger can add anywhere from 25-35 miles of range per hour of charging from the comfort of your home.
Charging an electric vehicle is not like fueling a car. It is much less expensive and you can re-charge your battery from home while you sleep. With a home EV charger, you are free to charge at any point in the battery’s status – meaning you have the ability to leave home every day with a full battery. Range anxiety is definitely a real emotion, but as more and more chargers are added to the public network, range anxiety will be a thing of the past.