If you own an electric vehicle and have ever had anxiety that your battery charge won’t be enough to get you where you need to go, you’re not alone. Some people call this uneasy feeling “range anxiety” and it might even prevent someone from purchasing an EV in the first place.
The feeling is pretty common. Unless you’re deep in Northern Ontario, there’s almost always a gas station close by for gas-fueled vehicles. For EVs, you need to plan a little better to make sure that you’re not panicked while enroute to your destination.
How far can an EV go on one charge?
Each EV is different, but most will last for about 150(1) km to 198(2) km per charge. This means that they are perfect for city living or even commuting from suburban neighbourhoods without worry. But the EV industry is in it for the long haul. Companies like Sun Country Highway are putting charging stations in enough locations across Canada so that EV range anxiety can be a thing of the past.
NBC news says that by 2020, there will be an expected 11 million EV chargers in the world.
In terms of Toronto, EV drivers have plenty of options for public charging stations along with their home EV charging stations. One of the reasons for the increase in these stations is that the government offers incentives to install EV charging stations.
Check out our guest post “Driving an EV could put cash in your pocket” on The Electric Forum to learn more about incentives for EV drivers and EV charger installations.
Until EV charging stations are as frequent as gas stations and until the time it takes to get a full charge is the same as filling a tank with gas, EV owners need some tips for removing their range anxiety.
EV Range Anxiety Prevention tips:
– Fully charge your battery. Start in the best possible position to ensure that you’re going to get your EV’s full range.
– Plan your trip to include charging stations if the distance is longer than your EV’s range. Make sure to add on the extra time it will take to charge at these stations.
– If you own a Chevrolet Spark, you can use the OnStar RemoteLink App.(3)
– Canadians can also plan their trip with Sun Country Highway’s trip planner.
– Check to see if your EV manufacturer offers alternative vehicles to loan for longer trips. BMW provides their 3 Series i3 customers with an X5 SUV to borrow for several weeks each year. (4)
– If you’re still concerned about an EV’s range, you might be better off with a gas/electric or diesel/electric hybrid. You’ll have a longer range and might sleep better the night before any long trips.
For EV owners, there are tons of ways to stretch your EV’s range and lose that anxiety.
Take a look at our blog post “Go Long! How to Stretch Your EV’s Range” for some great tips!
Sources: (1) The Vancouver Sun (2) New Top Car (3) GM Authority (4) Bloomberg