One reason many people are hesitant about switching to an electric car is range anxiety, the fear that their car’s battery will die on them in the middle of a trip. It is pretty much the same thing as running out of gas, but somehow it seems like more of a danger.
Perhaps this was true when charging stations were few and far between and electric cars couldn’t go very far on a charge, but these days, the average electric car can drive about 200 miles on a charge and there are charging stations all over the place.
A big difference between gas cars and electric cars is that many people can charge their cars at home and start every day with the equivalent of a full tank. With an electric car, there is little reason to use up all nearly all the charge before filling up the tank again.
The truth is that most people don’t drive all that much on the average day anyway. In the US, the average driver goes about 39 miles a day. In Europe, is it considerably less. Yes, there are some people who drive 200 miles a day, but they are few and far between.
Remote and regional Australia is a place where distances between essential services can be very large. But a new study from the Australian National University found that even under those trying conditions, the vast majority of residents, about 93%, can go about their business even with the lower-range electric vehicles available on the market without having to recharge en route.
Electric cars may not be practical for some drivers, but for most, they are already a great choice.
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Web Links
Electric vehicles pass the remote road test
Electric car range and 5 reasons why your range anxiety is unwarranted
Photo, posted May 21, 2022, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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