These days, it’s getting more and more common to spot a Tesla or a Nissan LEAF during our daily drives—a sure sign that electric vehicles are shifting into the mainstream.
Even better, a lot of the barriers that have deterred EV buyers in the past seem to be dropping away. Combine that with the myriad of EV benefits (cheaper cost of ownership, less maintenance, and way more fun), and it’s hard for many households to justify not going electric. Charging stations are ramping up quickly, especially in cities, and last week the California-based EV start-up Lucid announced the first all-electric car that can drive more than 500 miles on a single charge (that’s roughly a sixth of the way across the U.S.!). So is “range anxiety” really a thing of the past?
Studies have found that the two main reasons that folks who are in the market for a new vehicle don’t consider EVs are the battery range and the lack of charging infrastructure. Like gas cars, EV batteries can’t drive forever— they only hold so much power before they need a “fill up.” Range anxiety is that nagging feeling that your car is going to run out of juice and leave you stranded before you’re able to recharge it. But we’re now at the point where inadequate range is no longer a reasonable excuse anymore. The new Lucid Air Dream is a range superstar, and it’s not the only EV that goes the distance. Tesla’s Model S Long Range is rated to go 405 miles per full charge, which is well beyond what most of us drive in a single day.
Granted, most of us can’t afford a high-end Lucid or Tesla. But even the more affordable EV models have a pretty decent range: around 350 miles per charge for the Tesla Model 3, nearly 260 miles for the Chevy Bolt, and 226 miles for the Nissan LEAF. Given that the average American drives 31 miles per day, according to the American Automobile Association, current models well exceed most people’s daily needs, making range anxiety a nonfactor for 95% of your driving occasions. An EV can be an ideal car both for everyday commuting and for running errands around town. AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson noted in February that range anxiety among EV owners is “dramatically disappearing,” since most people, "for their daily use around their home or office, they're delighted to have an electric vehicle."
This brings us to the issue of EV charging...