Electric Car Range Anxiety Explained: What It Is And How To Avoid It

For many people, buying one of the best electric cars is exciting because you no longer have to pay for gas. However, that can create anxiety among owners as running out of a charge on a highway will almost always result in having to call a tow truck. Currently, EV stations to juice up an electric vehicle aren't nearly as prevalent as gas stations, but we're getting there.

There has been some progress made to help alleviate some of these fears, but there's still a thought in the back of many drivers' minds that they'll be stranded on a freeway. However, these aren't totally unfounded fears, and officials are clear that more has to be done to ensure it doesn't happen. This includes adding more charging stations, including several installed alongside major highways. We're not quite there yet, but things could look very different in a few years and electric car range anxiety could be behind us.

Most people won't have much of an issue running local errands like driving to the grocery store in their EV; most range-anxiety issues arise when driving long distances. An electric vehicle's battery might not be able to survive a four-hour-long trek, and that's where a lot of fear stems from. Nobody wants to be stranded on the road far from home. This is especially true since the fix isn't as simple as carrying a gas can to a nearby station.

While we've come a long way from just a few years ago, EV stations aren't as widespread as you'd want them to be to quell fears of being stuck somewhere. The Department of Energy released a list of EV stations, and you'll find that most urban areas around the United States have a wide selection of them. However, you may have to wait in line for somebody else to charge their vehicle, which can take up to an hour or two.

There are a variety of ways to help ease your anxiety, and a lot of it comes down to doing some research and preparation. Always make sure your EV is fully charged before going on a lengthy road trip. If you're going somewhere that will require a charge along the way, check out the map of stations and pick out one to stop at ahead of time. Ideally, pick two backups as well (one closer and one further on) as your vehicle's range can vary with conditions like changing elevation or wind.

If you're staying at a hotel, it would be beneficial to research ahead of time whether they have an EV charging station in their parking lot. If they don't have one, look for one close by so you have the juice to get home. Many of the charging stations currently out there are of the slow charging type, so be prepared to let your car sit for a bit while it gains its energy. That's not a big deal if it's sitting overnight somewhere, but making this kind of stop on the highway would be an annoyance.