While ‘range anxiety’ used to be a factor in purchasing an electric vehicle years ago, consumers have less to worry about when it comes to how far their EV can go, experts say.

  • skai@lemmy.ca
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    11 months ago

    It takes, what, about five minutes to fuel up a gasoline powered vehicle. Optimistically, in ten years time on a fast charger, 20 minutes for an electric? So theoretically, to maintain the current flow rates on highly trafficked routes (like the 401 from Montreal to Toronto), during peak hours, vehicles need to be stopped at a service station for at least four times as long as they currently are now. It’s also slightly over a 500km long drive, so unless you’re really playing chicken with range you will need to stop at least once (I could be wrong, but I believe most gas powered vehicles can do around 600km range at 120km/h?). I wonder what the land-use requirements will be to charge those vehicles – Walmart parking lots beside the highway may begin to make a killing if they lean into it.

    For me, unless my landlord suddenly decides to spend a tonne of money to furnish the first-come, first-serve outdoor parking lot at my building with electric chargers, it’ll be a hybrid after that date (unless I’m rennovicted before then). I wonder if someone is liable for the tripping hazard of extension cords running out the front door and across the sidewalk to street parking.

    Obviously I’m being a bit silly and sarcastic here, but the wholly electric by 2035 scheme seems half-baked based on the assumption everyone lives in single family homes and that the amount of intercity travel will decrease in aggregate by then. Rather than say, increasing taxes year on year for gasoline powered ownership and then some heavy investment into things like high speed rail, cycling infrastructure, trams, etc. The solution to cars are too polluting doesn’t have to be the same number or more cars . . .