RangeAnxiety
Latest
UK National Grid plans superfast country-wide EV charging network
Range anxiety could soon be a thing of the past for electric vehicle drivers in the UK, as National Grid is proposing a network of superfast charging points that would mean 90 percent of motorists would always be within 50 miles of a charging station. The strategically-placed points would offer up to 350KW of power, drawn directly from the country's high-voltage power grid, which is managed by the company, and could charge a car in between five and 12 minutes -- much faster than the 20 to 40 minutes it currently takes.
Tesla owners now have an even more obsessive companion app
As the most technologically advanced production cars on the road, Tesla's vehicles collect a lot of potentially useful data. Unfortunately for Tesla's diehard fanclub of early adopters, the company's in-house app doesn't offer a simple way to get at much of that data. So two obsessive Tesla owners took it upon themselves to build a their own, much more robust companion app called Teslab.
Tesla promises to 'end' Model S range anxiety on March 19th
If you drive an electric car, you're probably all too familiar with range anxiety -- the fear that you'll travel too far and find yourself stranded by the side of the road. Tesla drivers may not have to worry about that for much longer, however. The EV maker's Elon Musk is teasing a media event on March 19th where the company will "end range anxiety" for Model S owners through an over-the-air software update.
Tesla shows just how far your Model S will go on a charge
So you're fortunate enough to be shopping for a Tesla Model S, but you're anxious about just how far the electric sedan's variants will go on a full battery. How do you know you won't be stranded on the roadside because you bought the wrong edition? The automaker clearly wants to put that range anxiety to rest. It just posted a detailed look at the driving range you're likely to get from the Model S based on a slew of factors, including the equipment you use and how you drive. There's a range estimator, too, if you want to see how each of those factors comes into play.
Nissan launching $100 per month Leaf battery replacement program in 2014
How much would a Leaf owner pay to banish range anxiety? If your answer was "$100 a month," then Nissan's got a proposition for you. The car maker is gearing up to launch a domestic battery replacement program for its EV in 2014 that'll set you back that aforementioned sum. Similar to Nissan's setup in Europe, if your battery can only hold nine out of 12 bars worth of charge, it'll replace the unit with a new or reconditioned unit. The company insists that very few will ever actually need to replace the battery, but hey, squeezing $1,200 a year out of its existing customers is a sure-fire way to inspire loyalty.
Mayor Bloomberg aims to ease range anxiety in NYC with 10K EV charging points by 2019
Most electric vehicle news as of late has been focused on the Tesla Motors vs the New York Times situation, but lest we forgot it's not all about Model S sedans and Superchargers. Giving his State of the City 2013 address for New York, Mayor Bloomberg let loose some exciting prospects for the EV faithful. As SlashGear notes, the city aims to expand beyond its 220 charging points (100 of which are public) to a whopping 10,000 (including 30 more for the city government) by 2019, while hoping to have landlords make 20-percent of all parking friendly to EVs. Beyond that, the city will test the viability of two quick-chargers that would allow some vehicles to juice up in about 30 minutes. Whether the city ultimately approves the lofty plans it their current form will remain to be seen, but, at the very least, we'll be glad to have more in place for decreasing range anxiety near the Big Apple. You can watch the full recording of the address by heading past the break.
Nissan adopts 15 EV chargers, is first on nappy duty (video)
Nissan's concerned that Leaf owners aren't getting around enough. So, until IBM's super-batteries arrive or Exxon starts installing charging points in its gas stations, the car maker's got to do it itself. In partnership with charity Adopt-A-Charger, it's paying for 15 charging points in California, three at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and twelve at the Music Concourse in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Customers will have totally free access, with Nissan pledging to pay for the upkeep and electricity that the public uses. After the break we've got a video whose narrator probably makes Chris Hansen jealous of his voice.
Ford Focus gets EPA rating: 105 MPGe, 76-mile range
The EPA has finished its usual gauntlet of tests and has found that this year's Ford Focus Electric is the most efficient five-seater in America. The agency certified that it gets 105 miles to the electric equivalent to the gallon (divided between 110MPGe in the city and 99MPGe on the highway), which is better than Ford's own claim of just 100MPGe. The company's found cause to celebrate the milestone and throw a few jabs at its closest rival, the Nissan Leaf. In fact, you could say that the House that Henry built has a bit of a complex about the leafy EV -- in the press release we've got for you after the break, it mentions the rival vehicle no less than nine times.
Japan trying out roadside service vehicles capable of charging EVs, soothing range anxiety
No matter how hard Nissan tries to convince folks that driving an EV won't leave them stranded on the side of the road gagging for electricity, that pesky range anxiety issue continues to permeate discussions about electric cars. So, what else to do but strap an EV charger on roadside service vehicles? The Japan Automobile Federation is trialing just such a scheme, with a Nissan-built prototype service truck helping to top up electrified transporters that have ended up bereft of juice at an inopportune moment. The trial's gotten its start in Kanagawa Prefecture this week, which, incidentally, happens to be using a Nissan Leaf as its governor's official car. So, even if you do figure out a way to use up your Leaf's entire battery, you get the comfort of knowing you're riding like a governor and that the good men in orange jumpsuits will be there to take care of your problemo.
Range anxiety gets real: Nissan Leaf drivers run out of juice on the road
Fears of range anxiety have loomed over EVs since their inception, and those fears were validated courtesy of a couple unfortunate souls whose Nissan Leafs apparently died on them while driving. The drivers put their faith in the Leaf's remaining range calculation, and were sorely disappointed when the car's dash said they had enough juice to go 10+ miles, but the batteries had other ideas. Turns out, the Leaf needs some time to get to know you and your lead foot before it can accurately determine the bounds of its own range. Nissan sent engineers out to check the cars and found no technical faults -- but one driver reckons the cold sapped some of the batteries' power (a theory that Mini E drivers would disagree with) and the car's software didn't factor that in when making its range estimates. Who's to blame? We suspect that while there was some user error, Nissan should rework the Leaf's software to improve range calculation -- else we may be talking about the death of EVs instead of internal combustion.
BMW puts a range-extending ICE in its Megacity EV, provides tonic for your range anxiety
When we first left the safe confines of our parents' home, many of us experienced separation anxiety. As we grow older, we suffer from disconnection anxiety -- and no, iPhone owners, that doesn't refer to your fear of dropped calls. Now, BMW is combating our range anxiety, or fear of being stranded when your car's batteries run out of juice, by putting an internal combustion range extender in its Megacity EV. BMW is taking a page out of the Chevy Volt's playbook by placing a small ICE in its EV that doubles the range of the vehicle from 50 to 100 miles -- all in an effort to assuage the (irrational?) fears of its potential US customers. The gasoline generator will be an option for those who wish to venture beyond the city limits, so if you want to keep it totally green you can still do so. Our Bavarian friends won't be bringing the Megacity to market until 2013, so that should give you enough time to decide if you want to hasten the death of the ICE or prolong its life a bit longer.
