Range Anxiety

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Acquiring an electric vehicle has introduced me to various new concepts when it comes to driving.

 'Range anxiety,' for instance, seems to be a phrase that crops up regularly. Progressing so suddenly from a hot, dry spring and summer into current conditions has fostered an epidemic of the condition and I've even heard tell of one poor lady who couldn't bear the stress and ended up part-exchanging her electric car after only a few months to return to a conventional petrol engine. Unfortunately, deploying heating, lighting and windscreen wipers throughout every journey has an inevitable impact on battery power and the decrease in miles per kwh as a consequence can be worrying. Somebody even described to me how they are donning extra layers and driving without heating in an effort to tweak as many miles as possible out of their charge.

I'm lucky in that most of my driving is local and to be honest I'm not sure that I would have swapped to an electric car if it wasn't. I've learnt quickly also that charging an EV isn't the same as stopping for fuel at a filling station. No more driving from full tank to almost empty. Instead, little and often seems to be the mantra with frequent charging to keep the battery level between 20% and 80%. There's no conventional gauge and instead simply an indicator of the percentage to which the battery is charged and a very broad (invariably erroneous, often by a large margin) estimate of the number of miles that percentage will enable the car to travel. Obviously actual mileage is affected by driving mode and style as well as use of electricals within the vehicle.

I'm enjoying the challenges that a different type of engine is presenting and look forward to accumulating sufficient knowledge and experience in order to get a proper feel for how much range I can extract from the battery whilst refusing to reduce the enjoyment of the ride by turning off the radio, seat heating and other accoutrements. I'm guessing that there must be some nerdy drivers out there with complex spreadsheets to record mileage and battery drawdown against weather conditions and accessory use. If so, perhaps they could send me some tips.

It is said that, as we proceed through retirement, learning new skills is important for keeping one's brain in good working order. I'm a little concerned though that I'll never acquire the necessary level of expertise especially when degradation of the battery itself gets added into the mix. Come to think of it, this could be a long-term skill-learning experience when, and without even having to leave the driver's seat, as the battery power in the car diminishes my brain cells increase. Is driving to stave off dementia even a thing and, if not, could it become one?


Comments

Treaders said…
I've had Ford vehicles for many years and just had my car in the other day to get my winter tyres put on. I was chatting to the owner about possibilities of getting a new car as this one is 15 years old already (but still going strong). I'm looking at either a petrol or hybrid but no way will I be going full on EV. Having seen the chaos last Christmas when so many people set off on their Christmas vacation and then got stuck on the motorway because there were no charging stations available I'm giving that a hard pass. That being said I must admit the silence of the EVs is very pleasant but it definitely won't be my next car.
30 November 2025 at 08:52
Mona McGinnis said…
I'm still not convinced that an EV would be sustainable in this cold NE Alberta climate when temps can reach -20-40C. I haven't looked at the electrical costs of maintaining an EV. Currently, the electricity bill is the highest of all utilities & the power required to maintain an EV comes from somewhere. And then there's the environmental impact of the batteries & the cost of replacing one. Like many things, we exchange one thing for another.
30 November 2025 at 14:45
Caree Risover said…
I definitely don’t think my car (despite its supposed range of 350 miles +) would be viable on a long journey during the winter months, Treaders, and having seen how the capacity drops between 0 to 5 degrees, certainly wouldn’t be recommending it for those temperatures, Mona. However, for local journeys in Yorkshire conditions it’s perfect and from a cost point of view is certainly proving to be far more economical than petrol. Would we change Mister E’s car as well? Now that’s very unlikely!
30 November 2025 at 16:06
Jennyff said…
I am only a passenger nowadays, driven by a husband who is happy tootling along in his diesel car with the red fuel warning light on. Rural locations home and away are his preference. That’s straightforward if bad enough, no way could I stand the worry of him driving an EV. Good luck with the calculations.
30 November 2025 at 16:12
Caree Risover said…
As somebody who detests driving south of Wetherby I understand Mrff’s preference for rural locations. Unfortunately the more rural they are, the more random any likelihood for public charging!
30 November 2025 at 17:28
Anonymous said…
I share your concern. However, the issue with our VW ID4 (and I guess every other EV for that matter) is the effect of temperature, rather than what you have switched on in the car. When we purchased ours in September, it was perfect weather and the car would tell us it was good for 350 miles (at a 100% charge). We achieved that in September and were very encouraged.
Now the weather is much colder, the range is considerably less, I think about 280 miles, or thereabouts.
Mind you, I refuse to forego the creature comforts. These days I keep the car at 20 or 21C and always have the heated seat on. Sometimes the heated steering wheel too.
Roll on summer!
30 November 2025 at 22:44
Retirement Coffee Shop said…
I have thought about getting an EV in the future but think it would have to be for shorter trips around town or within a 100 or so miles. I would be too worried about charging issues on a longer trip. I think the charging grid is getting better everyday, but until I see a charger at every major gas station I'm not sure I will be sold on EV.
1 December 2025 at 16:30
Caree Risover said…
Thanks for sharing your experience Anon. The change in range for my ID3 sounds almost identical, although some journeys are worse than others. I’ve read that the ideal temperature for maximum battery power is between 20 and 40 degrees, so I’m glad to have bought in September too and been able to enjoy a few weeks of 4.5 miles approx to the kWh, otherwise I might be totally dispirited and convinced I’d been sold a dud.
2 December 2025 at 07:34
Caree Risover said…
That’s exactly how I’ve been using my car, Retirement Coffee Shop, and it works for me.
2 December 2025 at 07:36
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