When looking into purhasing an electric vehicle the question ‘how far can I travel in an electric vehicle?’ is usually first asked (or Googled, of course), and then ‘where can I charge my EV?’ is next. No matter where you are in your EV and sustainable journey, both questions are important to ask - the good news is that we’ve got the answers.
When considering purchasing an electric vehicle, one of the main concerns people have is about how far the car can travel, it’s so common that it has its own term “range anxiety”.
Let’s break down the stats.
How far can I travel?
There are models on the market that can travel over 500km in a single charge, most electric vehicles are capable of 300km, that’s very good when 90% of city dwellers (for example, people in Sydney) have an average of 40km for their daily commute.
How does this compare to petrol or diesel cars?
The average fuel consumption is 7.5km/ litre of petrol with a common 45-50L tank which results in a 300-340km average for the full range.
In their current state, EVs of 300Km are not far off a full tank of fuel of a petrol car.
In fact, a recent Macquarie University study found that 88% of vehicle communities within Sydney could be serviced by low to mid-range electric vehicles.
Where can I charge my electric vehicle?
The Australian government, suggests taking frequent breaks on long road trips to prevent fatigue, if you also charge your EV during these breaks the range of travel is greatly increased.
When increasing the adoption of electric vehicles, state governments are investing in infrastructure to help address concerns about travelling long distances, and having access to charging stations.
The NSW government alone are investing $171 million over the next four years to improve infrastructure including providing widespread Electric Vehicle charging stations.
The Victorian State Government has committed to a $5 million program called Destination Charging Across Victoria that is looking to fast-tracking EV charging stations in high-traffic and tourist destinations.
Charging stations are becoming more accessible within offroad and on-road charging stations and rest stops, here you can read all about charging stations and where to find them.
You can also search for charging stations in the immediate areas on most onboard navigation systems (Sat Nav) when driving your electric vehicle.
At Brighte, we’re on a mission to make every home sustainable, we do this by helping Australians finance their sustainable investments such as purchasing solar panels, a home battery, air conditioning, hot water pumps and more.