Historic Perspective on Range
 

Now that +300 mile range electric cars (and fast charging) are getting more common, how relevant is this article below?

Posted on May 03, 2010 at 12:25 PM in Batteries, Cover story
The status quo of electric cars: better batteries, same range
https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2010...ame-range.html
https://krisdedecker.typepad.com/.a/...193e801970c-pi

I know that when I was looking at used BMW i3 and i3Rex about 6-months ago (113-133 mile), range was an issue for me.

I did see a Mitsubishi i-MiEV in a parking lot and pointed it out to my friend, he said it looked like a death trap. Never read much good about them, but still think they look cool.

Imagine what it could have done with a Tropfenwagen body.

It wasn't really relevant then - basically a lot of FUD that the "real" range will be 1/2 of the EPA range because of everything from running the heater to using the power windows.

I had a Spark EV with an EPA range of 82 miles. It would do 95 miles in the summer with the A/C on and 65 miles in the winter with the heater going. Perfect for my 50 mile daily commute an errands around town. I drove it 8500 miles a year even though I traveled for work 30% of the time and it spent far too much time sitting in long-term parking at the airport.

Attention grabbing headline, but 100 miles at <25mph is a bit different than 100 miles on modern roads and speeds.

Valid criticism.

I wonder what a gen 1 Leaf's range @ Fritchle Electric speeds would have been.

I remember Jay Leno making the same type of comment in a video about his antique Baker EV. Disingenuous or ignorant?

Well, he is a comedian.

If one has a 100 mile daily commute, then perhaps a 250+ mile range EV makes sense.

For everyone else, a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) makes the most sense because it achieves the ability to drive most miles on electrons while eliminating range anxiety, at a lower overall cost.

Going for 400+ miles of range in an EV is absurd except for the very few people on earth that regularly have around a 300 mile trip.

Once speed of recharge is addressed, it will vastly reduce the demand for more range. Hardly anyone wants to go more than 200 miles without stopping.

A PHEV might make sense for someone that only has 1 car in the family and wants to spend most of their time driving in EV mode. However, I doubt a PHEV would show much savings over a plain old hybrid once they tax subsidies go away. (Looking a Fuel Economy Gov the Niro PHEV LXS saves $200 a year vs the Niro LXS but costs $3,500 more)

For the majority of families that have one car for every member with a driver license I would say pairing BEVs with hybrids makes the most sense and those EVs don't need long range.

You are correct that once the charging network builds out the need for range goes away. That isn't a technical problem, the current 350 kw chargers top off a car plenty fast. It is a matter of building out the network and that will either take subsidies to get companies to build charging stations before they are economically viable or it will happen slowly and regionally over time.

I will also say that once someone owns an EV the range anxiety goes away. Nothing like returning home every night with mile and miles of range remaining to reinforce the reality that you don't really drive as far as you imagine.

Leno
 

This might have been in Chris Payne's movie, 'Who Killed the Electric Car.'
Phyliss Diller's family owned something like the Baker. She had nothing but fond memories of it.
Jay Leno's comments about his Baker, to me, were just informational. No bias one way or the other.