FEATURE STORY 
CAN ELECTRIC VEHICLES GO THE DISTANCE?

One nagging concern U.S. consumers have about electric vehicles (EVs) is the ability of these battery-operated cars and trucks to get you where you want to go without running out of power. Nobody wants to be stuck at a charging station for long in the middle of a trip, or worse, be stranded without a charging station nearby. 

An extensive study led by University of Delaware researchers with collaborators at Dalhousie University and Georgia Tech may help dispel some of this “range anxiety” associated with EVs. The research, published in the Feb. 21 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Energies, analyzes data recorded from 333 gasoline-fueled cars over a one-to-three-year period and then models the ability of EVs with differing battery sizes, recharging power and charging locations to handle those same driving trips. 

“What we did was figure out how much people drive a year, distinguishing every single trip and stop, and then overlaid that with all the possible EVs you could buy,” said the article’s lead author, Willett Kempton, professor of marine science and policy and of electrical and computer engineering at UD.  “If you know how far you need to drive, our data on range and charging speed will tell you what EVs will work for you.”

The team’s findings underscore that, like sneakers, EVs can get you where you want to go, and some can help you do it faster — but the most expensive option may not be worth the investment.    

“One misconception out there is that we’re not going to be able to replace gasoline unless we have bigger batteries and super-fast charging,” Kempton said. “But what this study tells us is that there is a segment of the market — between 25% to 37% of the driving population — where EVs with smaller batteries, combined with community charging, can meet all of their driving trip needs.”