EV Limitations
1. Range
Some people routinely drive farther than an EV can drive on a single charge. Most EVs get below 300 miles of range per charge. Some manufacturers attempt to offset range anxiety by giving owners access to gasoline-powered cars for longer trips at no charge. Buyers of that MX-30, for instance, can borrow another Mazda from a local dealership for up to 10 days a year, free of charge.
There are several reasons you might need more range than you think. One is that automakers recommend you charge the battery to 80% or 90% regularly — and try not to drop below 10% if you can avoid it — to extend its life, saving a full 100% charge for long trips. That means you’re immediately cutting the EPA-estimated, manufacturer-advertised range by up to 30% for daily use if you want maximum longevity.
Being able to charge daily (without which you should reconsider EV ownership) also doesn’t account for worst-case scenarios like being away from home when the range is falling fast. According to a study from AAA, EVs can lose about 40% of their range when the temperature drops from 75 degrees to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, attributed to battery capacity loss at colder temperatures and the need for heating the cabin, which robs range. Based on a 40% decrease, an EV with a rated range of 250 miles could have only 150 miles of range when it’s 20 degrees outside, if only temporarily. In addition, some reports show EV batteries lose 5%-10% of overall capacity over five years, so, worst-case scenario, that 250-mile range might get you only 125 miles in cold weather after five years of ownership.
If all conditions are favorable, you might not need as much range as you think, but if you have a deficiency in any of the above, it may make sense to pad your range with the higher-range model or version. Sometimes range diminishes on higher-cost versions because they often include all-wheel drive or performance upgrades with the same battery but higher-output motors, which use more power and lower overall range; because of that, sometimes the standard range is also the longest, but it varies from car to car.