Comparing Electric Car Range With Battery Charge

Tempted by an electric car but worried about getting home? Then you’re suffering from what the auto industry has dubbed “range anxiety.” Range anxiety is the fear of being left stranded by a dead battery. It’s to counter this problem that the industry is working on ways to maximize range while simultaneously minimizing charging time. Let’s take a look at what the leading electric car manufacturers are doing. Nissan has the LEAF. This is a real car that can seat four adults and is pure electric. In other words, there’s no onboard generator so range and charging times are key to the success of this vehicle. Nissan quote a range of 100 miles, although EPA testing has shown that, depending on conditions, drivers should expect to get between 62 and 138 miles. The fastest way to recharge the LEAF is on a purpose-made 480V charger. This takes the battery from discharged to 80% in around thirty minutes. The problem though is that 480V electricity is not available in the home, but it is possible to use a 220V supply (as used for electric clothes driers.) This will give a 7 hour recharge. The bad news is that if you were away from your home base and had to make do with a 110V electrical supply a full charge would need 20 hours. The more affluent “green”car buyer might opt for the two seat Tesla Roadster. The manufacturer claims a range of 245 miles for this sports car, but that is under ideal conditions. The official EPA figures are not yet available but there is speculation that they will be closer to 200 miles. Tesla owners have three charging options and the company has found a clever way to express charging time. There’s a special purpose 240V charger that pumps in 56 miles range per hour of charge time, a Universal Mobile Connector that accepts either 110 or 240V and provides 32 miles range per hour, and for a quick boost while away from home, there’s the 110V Spare Mobile Connector that gives 5 miles range per hour. What does this mean for actual recharge time? Well accepting Tesla’s 245 miles range estimate and doing a little math, the fastest the battery can be recharged is around 4.5 hours. The middle option needs almost 8 hours, while the get-you-home boost would take almost 50 hours to provide a full charge. A third option for someone seeking an electric car is the Chevrolet Volt. Compared to the LEAF and Tesla, this has a relatively small battery and thus a short range. In fact the EPA put the Volt’s electric range at just 35 miles. However, where the Volt differs from the first two vehicles is that it has an on-board generator. This means that when the battery is depleted the car can generate its own electrical power, thus eliminating “range anxiety” for the Volt owner. Chevrolet has however recognized that many owners will want to run in electric-only mode, so the car has two charging options. A 240V charger can replenish the battery in just 4 hours, while a 120V supply will do the job in 10. For many would-be buyers of electric cars these relatively short recharge times may be the deciding factor. Practical and affordable electric cars are very new and the technology is still under development. Buyers should look closely at the estimated range as well as the charging times and options and would do well to ensure they have overnight charging facilities. However, it seems certain that electric vehicles are here to stay and improvements in both range and charge time should be expected. Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society