Despite charging and range anxiety, EV owners won't give up their cars

Over 91% of owners surveyed say their next car will be an EV.

May 9, 2024 - 10:30

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Despite charging and range anxiety, EV owners won't give up their cars

Range anxiety: the fear of not having enough charge, is still a fear that occupies a part of EV driver's minds and keeps some drivers out of pure battery-electric vehicles.

However, a new study found that range anxiety is a complicated, multi-faceted issue and that a new fear surrounding charging has emerged for most owners of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicle charge station in Edmonton, on April 24, 2024, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
NurPhoto/Getty Images

According to a recent Quantum Research Group survey commissioned by Ideal Power, the issue of range anxiety is still persistent amongst EV owners, especially when traveling through unfamiliar areas and on road trips.

Only 9% of EV owners said that they experience range anxiety very often, while 29% of owners said that they sometimes felt range anxiety, and 44% said that they rarely felt range anxiety. Meanwhile, 18% of EV owners said that they never experienced range anxiety during their period of owning an EV.

One of the fears that many EV drivers have is arriving at a charging station to find all the available charging spots to be full. 37% of EV owners told Quantum that they experienced this once or twice, while 38% said that this happened several times throughout their ownership experience. Additionally, 10% of EV owners surveyed said that they had to wait an hour or more for a spot to charge their car.

Three EV vehicles charging at Electrify America EV charging station in parking garage at a shopping mall, Boston.
UCG/Getty Images

However when it comes to wait times, the actual time that owners spend waiting for a spot leans towards more "realistic" time figures. A lucky 29% of EV owners said that they never had to wait for a charging spot at a charging station. Meanwhile, 48% of owners said they had to wait an average of less than 15 minutes, while 15% said they had to wait between 15 and 30 minutes. However, 8% said they waited an average of more than 30 minutes to charge their EV.

Range anxiety in itself can materialize in several different hypothetical situations, and when it comes to the main concerns surrounding charging, 51% of EV owners said that no available charging spots was their main concern, followed by long charging times (47%), lack of nearby charging stations (46%), and malfunctioning equipment (39%).

With all of the valid issues brought up, it is no surprise that some might support paying a premium to having more reliable charging. According to the survey, 42% of EV owners would pay extra to reserve a charging spot — and on average they would be willing to spend $15 for that privilege.

More Business of EVs:

Though the survey itself touched on many of the negative, tedious and stressful aspects of EV ownership, most owners feel that all the blood boiling is worth it in the end. A staggering 91% of current EV owners, including 95% of Tesla (TSLA) owners and 86% of other brands say that their next car will be an EV.

The full results of the survey, as well as additional insights are available through the Quantum Research Group's website.

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