Overcoming Range Anxiety Remains a Major Hurdle for Makers of Electric Vehicles

If you have followed the automotive industry during the last few years, then you may have noticed a change in the industry that has never been seen before. Automakers are developing electric drive vehicles that are powered solely by batteries and do not rely upon gasoline or diesel fuel to put them in motion. This interest in electric vehicle has grown considerably in recent years and several automakers will have production ready electric vehicles on the road here in the States by the end of next year.

With interest in electric vehicles on the rise, on aspect of electric vehicle has been hotly debated for some time. This aspect of electric vehicles is referred to as "range anxiety". In order to understand range anxiety, we must first examine the range related aspects of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles are powered by batteries. Current battery technology limits most electric vehicle to a total range of about 100 miles before a recharge of the batteries is required. In comparison, most gasoline powered vehicles can travel upwards of 300 miles between fill ups. Electric vehicle can typically be recharged within 6 to 8 hours, whereas gasoline vehicles can be refueled within 5 minutes.

Range anxiety is the fear of running out of electrical juice while traveling on the roads. If you run out of battery power, how will you resume driving? You can not simply refill the battery in a few minutes and be back under way. This anxiety causes many electric vehicle drivers to travel only very short distances away from their home where they can recharge their vehicle. Even if the vehicle has a 100 mile range, most are not comfortable exceed half of that range.

Overcoming range anxiety is a huge concern for electric vehicle makers. There are numerous ways to overcome range anxiety, but the most efficient method is getting owners to believe the range estimates of a given vehicle.

Can an electric vehicle be used as a daily driving for your commute? The answer is yes, research shows that nearly 95% of Americans drive less miles per day than the average range of electric vehicles, but few are willing to push an EV to the limit. One driver conducting a field study of a Mini E electric vehicle has displayed the capabilities of electric vehicles. In just 8 month, the driver has tacked up 21,000 on his electric drive Mini. He charges the vehicle at home and at work and travels in excess of 130 miles per day.

Can an EV provide the needed range for most drivers? They certainly can, but automakers must convince potential buyers that these vehicles can provide the range needed and they must convince buyers that range and the associated range anxiety is simply not an issue.