Among the main barriers to buying an electric vehicle, a perceived lack of charging infrastructure ranks highly, putting off drivers who may be worried they would get stuck by the side of the road if they can't recharge their car's battery in time.
One curious Redditor suffering from range anxiety in advance of EV ownership asked the r/TeslaModelY community what it's like to tackle long trips in cars that don't rely on dirty fuel.
"How accurate is the Tesla trip planner around when the car will need to pull over and charge?" they said. "Do you find yourself getting fidgety waiting for the car to charge?"
Specifically, they were interested in people's experiences of trips that were "200 miles and over."
It didn't take long for EV drivers to step in to try to settle their nerves.
"I've done up to 3,300-mile road trips," one person wrote. "Tesla planner is very accurate, and updates to different chargers if you drive too inefficiently to make the planned stop. Or it will tell you to keep it under 65 mph to make it all the way. Accounts for wind and elevation and even takes into account my roof box somehow. Charging is time for pee pee and snacks and stretching. A very welcome respite."
Another added: "Just yesterday we drove about 350 miles and only one stop was required. In the end we as family needed two short stops and picked Tesla Superchargers. For the second stop we ate some fast food at a nearby McDonalds and the car was ready to continue before I've got my food even. If you have family, they will need more stops than your car."
Even for EV drivers who don't own Teslas, range anxiety is becoming a thing of the past. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are over 192,000 publicly available charging points in the United States, with 1,000 being added weekly.
In fact, under the Biden administration, the number of chargers has doubled, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
🗣️ When you think about owning an EV, what concerns you most about public charging stations?
🔘 Chargers not working 🚫
🔘 Chargers not being available 😥
🔘 Charging being too expensive 💰
🔘 Charging taking too long ⌚
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
But those wanting to make the switch from a gas-guzzling car to an electric version might want to do so soon. The Inflation Reduction Act offers reductions of up to $7,500 on EV purchases, but this incentive could be removed when President-elect Donald Trump takes office. This would require an act of Congress, though.
Buying an EV now means you can immediately start benefiting from associated savings. EVs are far cheaper to power than dirty fuel-powered alternatives, and thanks to fewer moving parts, they are also more affordable to maintain. That's not even to mention the positive impact you can have on the planet by driving a car that doesn't produce any harmful tailpipe pollution — which reduces air quality and exacerbates the rate of the rising global temperature.
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