Overcoming EV Range Anxiety

Is range really that important?

A few weeks back, I began to write about the EV impact and how EV adoption has many hurdles to overcome. Many of those hurdles are perception, not reality. However, we know the power of perception. In that blog, I mentioned we would be discussing range anxiety, battery health, battery replacement, eco-friendly battery recycling, and other factors impacting EV adoption. In that blog, we also discussed the overall cost of an EV and how it is becoming more affordable than ICE vehicles, and that was before the recent acceleration in fuel prices. You can read more about EV affordability in the link HERE.

Today, we will dive into Range anxiety and how as a dealer body, we can be transparent with our customers, do some simple lifestyle analysis, and ease this area of concern. As you can see below, driving range is the number one concern in the three countries with large landmass. The next concern is public charging stations, which is simply a byproduct of range anxiety.

Referring to EV driving range, the distance that electric vehicles can travel on a single charge is gaining ground. Tesla is better than the EV industry average in terms of "miles per fill-up”. According to CEO Elon Musk, this seems to be by design. "We could've made a 600 mile Model S twelve months ago, but that would've made the product worse," he said in a tweet on Wednesday. "We see 250 to 300 miles as the sweet spot for most consumers, where most consumers are going to be able to do all of their daily driving, weekly driving, using a vehicle with that kind of range," Consumer Reports senior policy analyst Chris Harto told Insider at the time. The majority of current EV owners concur. But, again, the key is transparency and lifestyle analysis by the EV consultant (Dealer) during the consideration phase of the new EV buyer. As you can see below, the range varies by country, significantly in some cases.

Knowing these challenges and working with potential EV buyers on their specific needs is critical. As you can see, the chart above clearly shows that range anxiety is a real thing. Again, the average range of an EV in the US is between 250 and 300 miles, with the US average at 500+ miles. It is undeniable that we will need to see charging station infrastructure growth in the next few years. The good news is $5 billion in federal funds have already started to be dispersed over the next five years and allocated for just that purpose; seen Here.

With the recent investment by OEMs, along with tech companies in the EV space, coupled with rising gas prices, range anxiety can be overcome. However, the answer is strategic planning and route mapping by the EV driver/owner. Most shoppers can’t do this by themselves and will need the dealer to help them embark on this journey. The dealer can help them understand their actual range requirements through work and life route mapping, alternative modes of transportation when available, and their ability to charge away from home, with a set plan, when needed. We can also show them the efficient use of that range against an ICE vehicle and create a level of confidence that they did not have initially. See below:

Last week, I was at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) convention. I saw much promise in the fields of battery health, battery range, efficient energy use of EV over ICE, recycling of minerals with “end of life” batteries to lessen the strain of long-term mineral mining, and urban/rural planning and investments to prioritize public fast-charging stations. I am excited to say Cox Automotive’s Mobility Division is uniquely positioned to help OEMs, Dealers, and EV Owners in all of these areas.

If I learned one thing from the TMC conference during “truck week” it was this: the future is bright for EV passenger vehicles all the way up to class eight (big rig) electric-powered vehicles. In the coming weeks, we will discuss more perceived and actual EV challenges using case studies and scientific evidence. In the meantime, let me leave you with this one thought. EV is here to stay. The quickest way to adoption is through transparency and education, taking a consultative approach with your new EV shoppers. With the correct data and insights, coupled with understanding the buyer’s driving behaviors, you can quickly curb their anxiety and help them become EV owners. The future is Electric!