Historically, "Range anxiety" has been a major barrier to Battery Electric Vehicle (EV) adoption. Early Nissan Leafs (Leaves?) only had about 100 miles of range after all.
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However, as battery costs have dropped more recent cars have larger batteries, meaning that even budget EVs now do around 200 miles.
Range Anxiety vs. Charger Anxiety
Rapid charging speeds have increased as well, meaning that a charging stop doesn't mean hours of waiting but rather a brief stop of around 20-30 minutes to get you on your way.
This reduces concern about range, since running out doesn't mean waiting for 6 hours to refill as it did with EVs made before about 2015.
People choosing an EV should look at its maximum charging speed as well as range. There are some extra complicating factors here, but generally the higher the maximum speed the quicker the DC rapid charge.
If you can do a rapid top-up to get to your final destination why worry about range?
As range has increased and EV sales have outpaced new infrastructure, EV drivers are much more likely to have "charger anxiety" than range anxiety.
This is the concern that chargers will be broken or occupied when you arrive in desperate need of a charge.
The infrastructure will continue to improve with the sales of EVs, though sadly the two might not always be perfectly in-step and the power network requires a lot of upgrades as part of the energy transition.
How to think about range?
Despite this, range is still a considering when looking to buy an EV.
Electricity is much cheaper at home and rapid chargers in the UK are very expensive (up to 10x the cost of charging at home). A bigger range means less need to charge away from home.
Furthermore, range will mean more options when it comes to where to charge. It offers more flexibility.
However, range is rarely an issue for most people's lives. Most people drive to work and back, perhaps occasionally stopping off at a shop or something as well.
As long as the range is sufficient to get back home on one charge and then refill the battery for the next day what difference does it make?
Range becomes a factor for those who go on long distance journeys of several hundreds of miles, for instance to see relatives for celebrations.
Real world range
This is where knowledge of EV batteries becomes useful.
People who complain about EV range usually feel aggrieved because their car was advertised as getting, say 250miles range but they only got 185 before it ran out. They've been scammed!
In fact, they have not been scammed. They just weren't informed (perhaps a salesperson actively misled them but the information would be out there).
EV range is not a fixed amount but rather one that varies depending on several factors.
Here is real range of the 'long range' version of the MG4 (there is now an extended range with an even bigger battery).
This comes from the excellent resource that is the EV Database website. Do check this database before buying an EV.
An ICE car will also get different range depending on driving conditions but no one really thinks about it much. They are so inefficient (due to waste heat) that a little bit extra inefficiency hardly makes any difference. And they waste so much heat that they don't suffer so much from cold once they get going.
The equation for range is a simple one. How much energy is stored in the battery and how efficient is the car at converting the energy into miles.
The larger the battery and the higher the efficiency the longer the range.
Efficiency varies depending on speed (above 60mph efficiency really drops off) and low temperature also reduces efficiency because some power needs to go into keeping everything suitably warm.
So it isn't just battery size that determines range.
Aerodynamics matters too (low and long saloon cars being more efficient than massive slab SUVs). Weight is very important of course. Heat pumps will also help with efficiency when it is very cold as well because they take less energy to achieve the desired temperature.
The most efficient EVs include:
Long slippery saloons:- Tesla Model 3
- Hyundai IONIQ 6
- Mini Cooper
- Corsa Electric
- Skoda Citigo (and identical cars)
Essentially these are well-designed cars that are aerodynamic and keep weight limited.
The least efficient EVs include:
Big bois:- Mercedes-Benz G 580 (over 3 metric tonnes!)
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz (basically a van)
- Audi e-tron S
- Lotus Eletre R
Essentially these are cars that emphasise either size or speed and have no regard for efficiency.
The efficient cars above (the best) are twice as efficient as the ones below (the worst).
What range do you need?
We got the Standard Range version of the MG4 (51kWh) because it is perfectly adequate for us. We can visit our immediately family and return on one charge without any issue.
We may take one holiday driving trip per year which goes beyond that range and it is no problem to charge on such journeys.
A car with a battery size of 45-55kWh will be fine for most people, and most budget cars will be around this size going forwards.
However, some people might have long commutes, regular long journeys or family who live further away. For them a longer range vehicle may make more sense (60-100kWh).
The downside of a bigger battery is that it is more weight for the car to carry, which reduces efficiency and therefore range.
Conclusions?
The right car depends on numerous factors, such as lifestyle and various preference (including aesthetic). There is no single "right" answer. This is why car companies produce numerous models and variations.
Many people can now ignore the issue of range for a new EV. The range of a standard model will be adequate and charging speeds are sufficient to cover the occasional longer journey.
However, those who need a longer range car (regularly making longer journeys) then the following considerations are more important because they will impact upon range:
- Battery size
- Total weight of vehicle
- Efficiency of equipment (possibly including a heat pump if driving long distances in winter)
- Aerodynamics (shape)
