This is a very subjective question and the answer varies with the personal circumstances of the user, model of the electric car and capacity of the battery.
Plug-in Hybrids:
Plug-in Hybrids or PHEVs offer quite less range than pure electric cars. The electric-only range of PHEVs is typically 20 – 30 miles while the maximum they offer is up to 50 miles before they switch to petrol or diesel. Just like any traditional car, the overall range of these PHEVs is around 300 miles.
Pure electric cars:
With the advances in battery technology, manufacturers are also improving the range of 100% electric cars. On a single charge, most of the electric vehicles offer a range of up to 100 miles before they need to be plugged in for a recharge. Automakers are promising to increase the range and bring it close to 200 miles or more.
Some EVs even today offer longer ranges; for instance, Tesla 3 can take you around 230 miles on a single charge, Tesla Model S and X offer ranges from 290 – 350 miles per recharge. Chevy Bolt, Renault ZOE and Vauxhall Ampera EV offer promising ranges and they can reach from 248 to 300 miles on a single charge.
Average commuting:
The range of the cars is quite significant because it determines how far your car will go before it feels the need to replenish its fuel tank or battery. With electric cars, it becomes even more critical because of the apprehension that you may not find the charging station on the way when your car will be running out of the battery.
However, the range most of the commercial EVs and PHEVs offer is sufficient to fulfil the needs of the average commuters. As per stats, an average American drives about 30 – 40 miles per day, in the Netherlands, the average daily distance is 20 miles while in the UK the average commuting is just 15 miles.
All electric vehicles are capable of handling this much travelling on a single charge. So, you won’t need to stop at public charging stations and just have to plug your car at night and it will be ready in the morning for your daily travelling needs. Even on the longer routes, it’s easy to top-up the battery with the available public charging points. Rapid charging units have the capacity to recharge the battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes.
