Electric cars already go far enough for many drivers

9 Posted: 9th Jan 2019
Electric cars already go far enough for many drivers
Electric cars are now within a whisker of meeting the range demands of more than one in three motorists, new research has revealed.
  • DrivingElectric.com, a consumer advice website for electric vehicles, asked more than 250 drivers who had expressed an interest in potentially buying an all-electric car what range would tempt them to take the plunge. 

    The surprise finding was that 37% of them no longer expected the equivalent range of an internal combustion engine.  Instead they cited ranges between 50 and 300 miles on a single charge, which means the threshold for range anxiety has already been met by some mainstream electric vehicles.

    Almost one in ten would-be EV adopters could already be tempted by some models, because they only demanded a range of up to 150 miles.  Another 28% of drivers demanded up to 400 miles on a single charge, a figure widely expected to be reached by new high-end models currently in the pipeline.  However, the remaining 35% of motorists will be waiting much longer for their range expectations of 400-1,000 miles to be met.

    But the revelation that consumer expectations are so close to what is already achievable for 37% of would-be buyers spells a potential surge in demand when consumers realise the capabilities that some models now have.

    “With such focus on range anxiety, many have missed the technological improvements we’re seeing,” Vicky Parrott, the Associate Editor of DrivingElectric.com, said.  “We were surprised to find many drivers’ expectations were so close to what is already available to them.  However, the matching of expectation and reality is fantastic news for those drivers who have been waiting for the moment these cars meet their needs on range.”

    “When you look at the fact that most people would be able to cover most of their weekly miles on a single charge, and combine it with the range they have in mind that would tempt them to take the plunge and buy an EV, it looks like very good news for this market.  We have no doubt that these latest findings mean electric vehicle adoption is set to increase in 2018 – especially among ordinary motorists.”

     

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