People who have used electric vehicles in a multi-city trial in Britain have found quickly that their anxieties over the technology diminish, writes Brian Byrne.
The test is being run by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, which has just released analysis of data collected from the programme, involving 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles. High performance electric cars and small city runabouts were driven by real users making everyday journeys.
Participants met the challenges of switching to EVs with ease, often getting completely used to the change after just one week. More than four out of five of private drivers said the vehicles met their daily needs.
The data so far covers just under 20,000 charging events and over 110,000 individual journeys covering almost 680,000 miles.
Virtually all private drivers found the EVs no more difficult to use than the car they usually drove. There was no significant individual journey length or daily mileage per vehicle change over the first three months of usage.
Prior to the trial, only 16 per cent of private drivers and 14 per cent of fleet drivers expected their EV to perform better than their normal car. These scores improved by 24 per cent and 26 per cent respectively after three months.
All the private drivers initially said they would be more concerned about reaching their destination with an EV than they would with their normal car. After three months this issue dropped by 35 per cent.
Charging data also shows users gained more confidence in their journey distance over the three months, with an 8 percent increase in users allowing their batteries to drop below half-charge before plugging in.
After three months, private and fleet drivers still cite the adequate range they require for daily trips at 92.12 miles and 120.64 miles respectively, showing that—despite confidence in the vehicles’ ability—they still want an increased range.
