Thinking of taking a road trip in an electric vehicle? Or are concerns about running out of battery power on a long drive keeping you from buying an EV?
Charging infrastructure has improved over the last few years, and newer vehicles charge much faster than previous generations. But it still matters what you drive, where you’re driving and how much you plan in advance.
Road trips can play a disproportionate role in the public conversation about EVs. The vast majority of EV charging happens at home, not at public fast chargers. Many EV-owning households also have a gas or hybrid vehicle they prefer for long trips.
And some EV owners shrug off range anxiety because they simply don’t go on many road trips. Ford CEO Jim Farley, in a recent love letter to EVs, wrote that Ford’s research shows half of Americans go on 150-mile-plus drives “four days or fewer per year.” Owning a car that’s cheaper and easier 361 days of the year but a bit of a hassle on your yearly holiday drive might beat out having the dream road-trip machine.