When electric vehicle (EV) technology was much younger, early EV drivers worried about being caught out with a low battery and no charging station nearby. Today, cars have an improved range and the UK alone has tens of thousand of public charging points. So-called ‘range anxiety’ isn’t a problem any more.
How far can electric cars drive without charging?
The distance an EV can travel on one charge is increasing fast. For example, in 2014 you could drive 84 miles in a Nissan Leaf without charging. By 2018, that had risen to 150 miles. A VW ID.4 can easily go over 300 miles without the need for a charging point.
In the UK, the average person drives around 27 miles per day. You can see how there’s little need to worry about running out of power mid-journey.
How many electric car charging points are there in the UK?
The UK is rapidly expanding its network of EV charging stations. There are over 35,000 charge points spread across more than 13,000 locations. Thousands more connectors are added each year. By comparison, there are only around 8,380 working petrol stations.
So, you can see there’s no cause for concern. You’re more likely to drive past an EV charging point than a petrol station. And remember, the way people charge EVs is very different to how they used to fill up with petrol.
With a traditional car, people tend to wait until the tank is nearly empty to fill up. With an EV, they typically charge overnight and start each day with a full battery.
What about longer journeys?
If you’re taking a trip that’s longer than the range of your EV, there’s still no need for range anxiety. Rapid chargers located at motorway service stations can get you back to full charge in minutes. Find a charging point using Zap Map to plan your journey to go via a rapid charger.
