You can’t drive 500 miles non-stop on an Electric Vehicle

This is the mantra combustion engine owners and, sometimes enthusiasts, are throwing all the time against EVs.

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

On February 14th, the European Parliament gave the thumbs up to a new law that will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars after 2035. Now, people are debating whether electric cars can really satisfy everyone’s needs.

Long distance trips

I’ve been keeping an eye on Twitter for some of the conversations that have been happening, and there’s a group of users who claim they can make long trips without stopping and at high speeds, and that only a petrol or diesel car can meet their needs.

And I think they are right. If you need to travel 500 miles or more non-stop and want to drive at 70 mph or faster, you won’t go far with an EV. At that speed, and depending on the EV you own, you will have to stop every 100 to 200 miles for a 20 to 50 minutes charge. There is no way you can do this trip the same way you do it with a petrol vehicle, where you can stop maybe just once or even not at all to refuel in 10 minutes.

That petrol and diesel vehicles are more convenient for long trips is something even EV’s biggest fans, of which I feel a part, can’t deny. They certainly are.

The benefits of EVs

But, in my opinion, EVs have many other advantages that make them better in most situations:

• Cleaner with the air we breathe. Although there are debates about whether an electric vehicle is more polluting during its manufacturing phase or not, one thing is beyond discussion: an EV is a zero-emission vehicle while in operation.
• Perfect for commuting. Charging every day at work or home is cheap and convenient, and although an EV may be more expensive to purchase, the total cost of ownership is lower than that of a comparable internal combustion engine vehicle if it is used frequently enough.
• A smooth and quiet ride with no vibrations or gear shifting makes driving an EV a pleasant experience. Also, instant torque provided by electric motors improves performance over a similar ICE vehicle.