For many thinking about making the change to electric, the main concern remains ‘range anxiety’. Not having a reliable source of energy for your new EV is a reasonable worry, so what happens if the worst happens and your EV battery runs out while you are out and about?
EVs are getting better and better
The first thing to consider are the massive improvements EVs are going through on a near daily basis. Originally, a range of only 100 miles or so would be the usual estimate for a fully electric car, but now they are growing exponentially in distance they can travel. Reaching 400 miles for some, there are now EVs that, on paper, can outperform the majority of petrol and diesel cars. Of course, these examples are still the exception rather than the rule, as well are very dependent on external factors (such as road conditions and driving habits), but it shows the potential EVs have when it comes to range.
Along with a general boost to their range, EVs are exceptional in keeping you well aware of how much range you have, as well as many power saving options to help get you to that desperately needed charging station.
Speaking of charging stations, there are now far more charging stations readily available to the public, with plans for more rapid charging stations to be built across the nation. As it stands, Zap-Map, the UK’s most popular charging point location app, estimate that there are already more charging points available than petrol stations, and that is only going to get better.
What if the worst happens?
If a situation develops where it seems inevitable that you will run out of power before you can make it to the closest charge point, there are a few things to consider.
- First, before fully running out of juice, you’ll have emergency power to try and relocate yourself to somewhere safe, such as getting to the hard shoulder on the motorway.
- A lot of electric cars can’t be towed due to a lack of gears. This means that in order to get your car to the charge station, you’ll likely need to be loaded onto flat-bed truck. However, some of the newer EVs are now including a ‘tow mode’, so double check your EV to see if this is an option for you
- Most manufacturers provide breakdown services to collect any EV that has run out of juice and take it to the nearest charging point.
- Many breakdown services, such as RAC, now also are able to provide a 10-mile power top-up which will allow EV motorist to reach the next charging station, so even if your manufacturer doesn’t explicitly cover you, there are now generic breakdown services available to EV drivers.
While there are many more options available to help you, it’s still best to avoid running your EV battery completely flat. Not just because it will avoid you a whole heap of delays and headaches, but running your batter completely flat can damage the battery and affect its long-term health.
You can help avoid ever running out of power by making sure you have the right sort of charging cables to capitalise on any charging points that come your way. Autoparts have a fantastic range of portable charging cables available so you can make sure your EV’s battery is always charged and healthy.
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