How far can an electric car go? It’s one of the first questions first-time electric vehicle (EV) shoppers have. In addition to questions about charging, shoppers looking into EVs are concerned about the range.
Ultimately, prospective buyers are worried if the EV will travel far enough to reach their typical destinations. With a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), or gas car, range isn’t so much an issue. However, with EVs, it can be a barrier.
When the first modern-day EVs came out in 2010, the average range was 86 miles per EV Adoption. Fast forward 10 years, the average range is now 256 miles.
That is a 7% improvement year over year. In other words, every year the average EV range increases 17 miles.
By 2023, it is predicted the average EV range will be over 300 miles. At that point, EVs are also expected to reach price parity with ICEVs.
Each and every year improvements and cost reductions to battery technology help increase the EV range incrementally. In fact, in 2021, nearly all new EVs will offer a trim with a range of over 300 miles.
When the typical commute is around 40-60 miles, it is safe to say that EVs now have more than enough range for the average American.
That being said, some consumers are only interested in EVs with the greatest amount of range. So how far can an electric car go? See the table below.
As demonstrated in the chart above, Tesla vehicles are generally one of the longest range electric cars. However, new competition from Rivian, Ford, and Volkswagen aims to close the gap. In any case, EVs today are more than capable to complete typical commutes, errands, or long trips.
When a charging session is warranted, there are thousands of public charging stations available across the United States. For more information about charging, check out these articles:
Similar to ICEVs, when the battery is completely discharged, the vehicle will slowly come to a stop. To avoid a hazardous situation, the EV will notify the driver well in advance.
When the battery state of charge drops below 5%, most EVs will reduce maximum speed to allow the driver to safely find a nearby charging station. If the battery is completely drained, the vehicle will need to be towed.
To help avoid this unfortunate situation, all EVs have a digital range meter. In addition, there are many smartphone apps to help EV drivers plan long trips to ensure they can make the journey. If charging is required, these EV trip planners will even designate charging stops.
