Range anxiety?

steamdave

I ask as a potential first time BEV purchaser. No doubt the following scenario has happened before.

I'm on my trip and plan to recharge en route. I get to the recharge station and the charger is broken. No other chargers for miles. I decide to carry on but then run out of battery power before I can find a new charger.

If I call up the AA or other rescue service, I doubt they can charge my battery in their allotted time. So is there any alternative than getting them to tow me to a convenient working charger?

Dave

User1998

This scenario simply isn't going to happen

Nigzcurran

People

enough toet their

Nigzcurran

People stupid enough to let their battery run flat are the same people who would run out of petrol

Buddy Bubs

There is one other hypothetical option, but a slow one, get another EV with bidirectional charging to charge your car. I dont know if anyone here has ever done this, but it is possible. I dont know if anyone here has ever run out of battery either, I've never seen a post about it.

I ran a cupra born and a kia ev6 both down to 2% so under 10kms remaining but deliberately ignored many motorway chargers in doing so.

AA can charge batteries enough to get you to another working charger or tow you there, what other options could there possibly be?

Prevention obviously better than cure, 10% battery remaining on a modern car could be anywhere from 30 to 50kms so you should really be plugging in by then, to minimise risk of scenario you posted and having a plan B.

If the scenario above is likely to happen due to driving in remote areas and you cant take the time to charge, you prob shouldn't get an EV or at least make sure you get one that suits.

Once you pick the right car you'll find its not a feature of EV living, range anxiety disappears pretty quickly.

Once you pick the right car youll realise range anxiety disappears quickly. Obviously having your own charger will make a massive difference. Think long and hard about it if you dont have your own private charger.

eastie17

if you haven’t done enough research to figure out if that scenario is likely or not then you shouldn’t consider moving to an EV until you have and should stick to steam.

thebiglad

What a friendly forum, nearly as militant as cyclists.

Why not just reassure OP and get another person who was fearful converted and let them spread to others, but no, lets just tell OP they're too stupid to own an EV and stick to ICE.

unnamed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422746/range-anxiety

If you run out of battery, your breakdown recovery service (included in most car insurance) will tow you to the closest charger and make sure it's working before they leave.

This happened to my brother - it was a non-event. He just had to wait 30 minutes for them to arrive.

Grumpypants

The apps will show you working chargers and there are thousands of chargers in Ireland now. So the chances of running out of battery is really low.

If you are venturing into an area that has a limited supply you just make sure you top up with enough to get you to where you are going. If that means stopping a little earlier in your trip then do that.

Same as if the last petrol station is closed, if the last charger doesn't work then you are goosed. So never leave it to the last one.

893bet

it could happen. And yeah you have to get towed.

But if it happened a second time it’s on you.

MojoMaker

The rural fuel station network in Ireland typically shuts down by 10pm, so there is a far greater chance of running out of petrol/diesel than electricity.

IrishHomer

I purchased my first EV a 60kw Renault Megane ETech in June. For the first few weeks I had anxiety but that's all gone now.

Absolutely love driving the EV will never go back to ICE

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422746/range-anxiety

Not sure why you're getting all the snarky replies as such a scenario is entirely possible due to limited chargers compared to number of legacy petrol pumps in remote areas and possibility of running out of charge due to unpredicted circumstances.

To answer your question, as a potential EV driver myself one day, a hybrid might be best solution so you get best of both worlds.

There's also the time factor involved in having to allow time to charge vs those times when you just want to quickly grab some fuel...you may not always have the luxury of time to charge if you weren't in a location with a home charger

Say you were staying at a friend's house for a week and only charger was in a nearby town, but you had to run out in an emergency and didn't have time to charge.Might be rare but I could see this happening when I stay at my friend's place in Leitrim and had my elderly parents with me where nearest hospital is in Sligo.

plodder

I suppose the same concerns existed back in the day with ICE vehicles. Even as recently as the 70s/80s when you didn't have google maps/mobile internet, you were always taking a bit of a chance with long journeys in remote or unfamiliar places. I remember as a teenager a family holiday in France in the 70's, we were running low on petrol in the mountains, and needed a BP petrol station specifically, because we had no cash and they were the only ones that took the credit card we had. It was sheer luck that we found one in time, after stopping to ask several people. In today's connected world, that really shouldn't happen.

steamdave

Well, thanks all for the confidence boosting answers. Like I said to start with, I am a potential first time BEV purchaser and in my ignorance wondered whether the dreaded scenario has or would ever happen.

My fears have been allayed! I realise that there is an ever improving network of chargers around the country and Yes, I will install a home charger to work with my solar pv.

Dave

the_amazing_raisin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422746/range-anxiety

There's generally enough chargers around now that running out is highly unlikely, if you recharge around 15% SoC this is still 50km of range for most EVs now

The issue may be that the next closest charger is a slow charger, so you could be stuck there

If you ever do run out of charge then the car needs to be towed. There's been talk of roadside assistance with chargers but it's probably more economical for them to tow the car

It hasn't happened to me in 8 years of EV driving however, although I've arrived home with 4% on my Leaf in the past

The best way to avoid running out of charge is pretty similar to not running out of petrol. Pick a charging hub with multiple chargers so there's lower chance if failure and don't leave it until the car is in single digit percentage unless you're very confident about the charger at your destination

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758250#Comment_123758250

What car are you looking at buying Dave and what would your regular use pattern be? Most of us here will know if it will work for you easily or not, we were where you are now. Less than 3 years ago I was the same

ted1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758178#Comment_123758178

hybrids don’t offer the best of both worlds.

Range anxiety is only really felt by people who don’t have an EV.

It’s rare that all chargers will be out at the same time. If you are really stuck You can find a 3 pin socket somewhere and plug in

at 20% battery your car will start warining you and directing you to a charging station

Buddy Bubs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758445#Comment_123758445

Yes, they have drawbacks, but for many people they do offer a great solution and are becoming very popular . The sales of the 100km phevs are really increasing too. I think they are a big part of the long term solution, once there is an incentive to plug them in rather than put in petrol I have no problem with them.

Tenzor07

I see in some of the EV range tests that Matt Watson did on Carwow showed that the AA/rescue service did come out and connect their EV to the rescue van and allow enough of a charge to get to the next public charger so they definitely have that emergency facility in the UK, don't see why they wouldn't have it here also..

gipi

Bit off-topic, just a question

My understanding is that BEVs can't be towed if they run out of juice and must be loaded on a flat-bed recovery.

Is this true?

Thanks!

browne_rob5

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758462#Comment_123758462

They had that service in Ireland but it was discontinued due to lack of demand.

AndyBoBandy

In a petrol car if it showed a remaining range of 15km, and the sign on the side of the road said the next petrol station is 50km away, would you just plough on? or stop and try to find a better solution?

Same thing would apply to a BEV

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058422746/range-anxiety

I get to the recharge station and the charger is broken. No other chargers for miles.

The number of miles between recharge stations is quite a small amount and getting smaller by the day, almost every medium sized town has 2+ chargers and about half of the exits on the motorway network have large charging stations with multiple fast chargers also.

In time to come all cars will be EVs and in the mean time it's likely that forecourts will switch to EV charging as petrol cars greatly decrease in number. When this happens range anxiety will likely be limited to petrol car drivers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758465#Comment_123758465

Yes, the motor is directly connected to the axel. Similar to most modern petrol cars with their small regen-breaking batteries. However the flip side of that is that BEVs are far more reliable than petrol or diesel engines so the actual need for towing/recovery is only for flat tyres really

MJohnston

The original scenario is something that might have caused anxiety in 2019, but in 2025 it's not really likely to happen in Ireland.

1. Your average BEV now has a range that is minimum 300km, which allows for most realistic travel scenarios in Ireland without any charging being required.
2. There is a much higher coverage of rapid and fast charging stations across the country, and a lot fewer gaps in the network (and those gaps are very easy to know about ahead of time and plan around)
3. There are now large hubs (meaning 4+ charge points at each location) of very rapid and dependable charging stations located along the major motorway arteries that would be available on the vast majority of travelling routes within Ireland (picture below)
4. If you're heading into an area with lower coverage (generally this would be West Cork and Donegal) you'll nearly always find a reasonable amount of rapid/fast chargers on the edge of that area, and those areas are usually not big enough to trouble the range mentioned in point 1.
5. Each individual charging location often has more than one charge point now, reducing the number of what we call "single points of failure" - so even if one charger is broken you're likely to be able to still find another one nearby.
6. The network of AC chargers (where you'd charge more slowly at 11kW) is significant, and will help you out in a pinch — even better if you have a 22kW AC capable BEV like mine, you'd be able to stop at a 22kW AC charger and probably get at least 20% of charge in an hour (it's a really handy extra imo)
7. Because of a combination of all these points, as well as the introduction of overstay penalties, people are far less likely to hog a fast charger for long, and the turnover at these stations is quick enough to reduce the amount of time you'll need to wait

Blisterman

Ted1 already mentioned it in passing, but it's worth repeating. You can buy a granny charger which plugs into any standard plug socket. You're only going to be getting about 15km of range in an hour's charging. But it's a useful last resort if you're truly stuck without access to a charger.

innrain

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758748#Comment_123758748

I've three and never used them and driven over 200k km already. In a modern car once you typed in the destination, if out of its range it would say I'm not getting there you need to charge on the way. For those interested I recommend playing with some scenarios on plugshare at the beginning of the ownership. Once you've driven few times long distances you'll feel more comfortable.

Plugshare trip planner has very nice filters

There is also a better route planner which is designed to optimize your journey by recommending the charger along your route. Again plenty of filters and scenarios. It can also communicate with your car and adjust plans if necessary.

MightyMunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758178#Comment_123758178

Furthest point from Leitrim to Sligo hospital is only around 85km so you'd be fine once you arrived with >15kwh (20-25% battery for a new EV). Plenty of chargers around Sligo or on the way home to recharge for the return trip.

I wouldn't recommend arriving somewhere without guaranteed charging (e.g home) at a very low charge. Plenty of chargers on all main routes now.

mrcheez

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758445#Comment_123758445

What happens if you are away from home for a week, and dont want to be using the charger at the location you are staying because it is your friend/relative?

Assume the only charger nearby is hogged by someone and you urgently need to head out.

Do people just pull into a nearby pub and ask to use their plug?

Or what's the scenario here.

Also I often go away for a few months at a time, will my car battery be dead when I get back, or again what do you do here.

Blisterman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758906#Comment_123758906

The scenarios you list are only really an issue if you let your car get close to zero, and mostly no different to a petrol car with a nearly empty fuel tank.

And it'd take a very long time for the battery to drain on most EVs. Does your current car's battery die in the time you're away. If not, I wouldn't worry about that.

fits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123758906#Comment_123758906

I’d regularly go to the west and stay in a family member’s house. I just use the fast charger in the nearest town when I’m doing my shopping.

Have an ev for four years now and have never had range anxiety. Once it can cover the main journeys you do regularly ( Dublin and back for me) you’re flying.