What is range anxiety and is it impacting the uptake of electric vehicles within Australia?

Range anxiety is real, and the more people talk about increasing the number of electric vehicles on the road, the more we hear people talking about their range anxiety and how it is hindering the likelihood of them taking the leap from their combustion engine vehicle to an electric vehicle. 

So, what is range anxiety exactly? Range anxiety is defined in the dictionary as ‘worry on the part of a person driving an electric car that the battery will run out of power before the destination, or a suitable charging point is reached’. There are two key drivers of range anxiety that have been identified. The first is concern is about the ability to travel the same distance as you can in your petrol car, without needing to charge. This concern will slowly diminish as electric vehicles become the norm, and with more and more people driving electric vehicles the myths surrounding the range that an electric vehicle has will be proven incorrect. 

The second key driver is the lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and until electric vehicle charging infrastructure is readily available, this will continue to be of concern when it comes down to whether to purchase an electric vehicle or not. According to Infrastructure Australia, there are currently less than 3,500 public electric charging stations around the country, and only 470 of these are fast chargers, with most of these charging stations being partly supplied by the private sector. 

The Federal Government has announced that they are working towards combatting the electric vehicle infrastructure concerns with the proposed National Highway Electric Vehicle Fast Charging (as shown in the image below) which will see fast electric chargers installed along all major highways across Australia. The major concern here is that this proposed highway, is just that – a proposal. To date there have been no announcements regarding the project moving forward or when it may commence, whilst the majority of Australia’s national transport network does not support electric charging infrastructure. 

 (Sourced: Infrastructure Australia) 

In combating some of the range anxiety, the TOVECA Electric rally car will take off as a part of the upcoming Perth-to-Sydney Marathon 2022, and while electric charging infrastructure is minimal along the 5700km marathon, it will showcase the range an electric vehicle has, if the infrastructure is readily available. 

Understanding the type of electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is required is just as important as installing the infrastructure. Gemtek’s experts understand that no two infrastructure requirements are the same, which is why it is vital as a private or public enterprise, investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure that you ensure you select the right design, hardware, software, and installation that is tailored to each individual project.