Lots of people we speak to are keen to switch to a greener, more environmentally friendly electric car but still have reservations about going “fully electric”.
There are a number of myths surrounding electric vehicles, or EVs, and often these worries and concerns are out of date since there have been vast improvements in EV technology and infrastructure.
So, if you’re tempted by an electric car but have been put off by things you’ve heard, have a look at our EV myth buster series for up to date practical information about electric cars and how they might actually be a viable option for most of us.
Myth 1 – Range anxiety
There’s more than enough about electrical vehicle range to fill an entire car manual!
When people refer to range they’re talking about how far an electric vehicle can travel on a single charge. Range anxiety is the term coined for consumer worry about this distance (or lack of it) and how, historically it has been far less than a petrol or diesel equivalent. It is usually the main factor people allude to when talking about their reluctance to get an EV.
The range of an electric car depends upon the size of the battery (measured in kilowatt hours or kWh) and your driving style – the bigger the battery the more charge it can hold and the faster or more aggressively you drive the quicker the vehicle will run out of charge.
Older EVs had a very limited range of 50-80 miles and so was a legitimate concern. Thankfully modern EVs, even the ones with lower capacity batteries, can travel on average between 100 and 200 miles on a single charge.