The electric vehicle industry is primed and ready. But are consumers?
On Dec. 2, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm visited Connecticut to talk about clean energy investments and toured two companies working on providing clean energy infrastructure to Connecticut residents. Currently, there are 11,667 electric vehicles registered in Connecticut, and new sales account for only about 2% of total vehicle sales. This is a problem. Why? Because Connecticut has committed to an ambitious goal of deploying 125,000 to 150,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2025.
In order to meet that goal, there needs to be rapid deployment of electric vehicles and alleviation of one of the largest barriers to adoption — range anxiety.
There are multiple methods for reducing range anxiety. What I am suggesting is that consumers need to consider charging their electric vehicles like they do their phones: fully, overnight. That will break the traditional refueling mentality.
For starters, the average range of the modern electric vehicle is 260 miles. A few examples include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3 and the Hyundai Kona Electric. According to the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center, there is a list of 89 different light duty electric vehicles, including the same models with different battery configurations. I encourage you to take a look for yourself. You might be surprised at what you find. The car sitting next to you at the traffic light this weekend very well could be electric without you even knowing it.
There are a few EV models that can go 500 miles or more. So what? Some of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid gas cars can go just as far, if not farther; the 2021 Honda Accord has a range of 488 miles, for example.
While this is certainly true, electric vehicles are still worth considering. Moreover, the cost of operating a gas-powered vehicle is far higher than the cost of operating an electric vehicle. Consider that the average American driver does not use the vehicle’s entire range in one day. Think about the last trip you took: commuting to work, dropping off the kids at their extracurricular activities, grocery shopping, or to spend the evening with some friends. Whatever it might have been, I bet the cumulative miles driven in one day did not exceed 260 miles.
According to the 2017 National Household Travel Survey, the average American drives 49 miles a day accomplishing all the errands, jobs and trips mentioned above. The average electric vehicle, if driven only 49 miles a day, could last an entire workweek before needing another charge. When we stop and consider the average daily use of our vehicles, it becomes clear how little we actually drive, and how practical the modern electric vehicle is.
The traditional relationship we have with our vehicles and their range goes very much like this: We fill the tank with gas and then forget about it. Generally, we do not think of getting gas until we notice the needle approaching E and the fuel symbol is lighting up. The fill-up-and-forget mentality will become a thing of the past. Charging will happen more frequently and will take some adapting to break old habits.
Each electric vehicle comes standard with a level 1 charger. For most Americans, the included charger — which plugs into a normal 120-volt outlet — will provide enough overnight charge to meet any daily driving needs. Those who have longer commutes or who tend to drive more throughout the year can fully recharge their electric vehicle overnight using a level 2 charger. Level 2 chargers use a 240-volt outlet just like common household appliances (washer and dryer) and provide more miles per hour of charging. You can start to imagine, each day before calling it a night, plugging in your electric vehicle so that it is fully charged and ready for you in the morning. We do the same with our phones, laptops and other devices; why not with our cars as well?
When it comes to considering an electric vehicle, it seems to me that range anxiety — as a barrier to adoption — is a thing of the past.
Adam Gallaher is a graduate student at UConn.
