Despite the cost-saving advantages of low maintenance and high fuel economy, most battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) have a limited driving range of about 80 miles (130 kilometers). Not surprisingly, one of the biggest obstacles to consumer acceptance of EVs is range anxiety—the fear of running out of battery power before completing a trip or reaching a charging station. This anxiety can lead EV owners to drive less as a precaution, even though most people would normally drive distances per day that are well within an EV’s fully charged range. See also: Automobile; Electric vehicle

Psychologists from the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany have concluded that range anxiety is caused by the limited availability of public charging stations. At the end of a three-month trial they found that as drivers gained experience with their EVs and saw that running out of charge was rarely a problem, their comfort range improved and they were more likely to trust driving the EVs for longer distances. See also: Psychology

Factors other than experience influence range anxiety, however. Batteries, for example, are less efficient in cold weather and drain faster when a car’s heat or air conditioning runs. Driving faster also uses more energy because air resistance increases with speed. And the fastest route is not always the shortest route. See also: Aerodynamics; Automotive climate control; Battery; Ecodriving

To reduce drivers’ range anxiety, researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a software model that more accurately predicts how far an EV can be driven between charges. Once a trip destination is entered, the software looks at traffic data and other variables between the starting and end points, such as the weather, highway versus city driving, the topography of the land, and the performance and charge state of the battery. As new data becomes available during the trip, the model updates the remaining battery charge in real time. This big-data approach to range estimation has an accuracy of up to 95 percent, which represents a couple of miles on a 40-mi (64-km) trip—a significant margin for drivers concerned about reaching a recharging station. See also: Big data; Mathematical software; Software

Zeljko Pantic at Utah State University has proposed a more futuristic approach to eliminating range anxiety that would use a wireless inductive power transfer system embedded in the roadway to charge an EV's battery en route. In July 2014, Pantic received approval from the university to proceed with plans for a test facility. See also: Electromagnetic induction; Midrange wireless power transfer