Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeElon MuskExamine finds over half of US each day automotive journeys cowl lower...

Examine finds over half of US each day automotive journeys cowl lower than three mile


Posted on
May 12, 2022
by
Charles Morris

For years, we’ve been told that the limited range of EVs is a big barrier to adoption—but is it really? Certainly, range is invariably the second thing (after charging) that the EV-curious ask about, and most of us have had conversations with skeptics who have exaggerated notions of how much range they need (a friend of mine once told me he needed to be prepared to drive from Tampa to Atlanta—about 500 miles—and back in a single day). 

Above: Tesla Model 3 (Source: Bram Van Oost / Unsplash)

In fact, various studies have found that the majority of real-world car trips are well within the range of a typical EV. A 2016 MIT study concluded that current EVs could meet the needs of about 90 percent of drivers, at a total cost no greater than that of ICE vehicles (and remember, this was in 2016, when few EVs could muster as much as 200 miles of range).

A new study for the Bureau of Transportation Statistics adds some interesting data to the debate.  The Maryland Transportation Institute analyzed “an anonymized national panel of mobile device data from multiple sources,” and found that, in 2021, 52% of all trips in the US, using all modes of transportation, were for distances of less than three miles. Some 28% of trips were for less than one mile, and just 2% were for greater than 50 miles.

A trip was defined as a movement that included a stay of longer than 10 minutes at a location away from home. The trips included driving, rail, transit and air travel. “A weighting procedure expands the sample of millions of mobile devices, so the results are representative of the entire population in a nation, state, or county,” the authors write.

Obviously, drivers’ use cases vary—certainly there are some drivers who do make long trips on a regular basis. However, this study’s results indicate that this is a very small subset of US drivers, so current EVs should have plenty of range for the majority of car buyers. Furthermore, considering the still-high cost of batteries, automakers may want to consider offering models with less range and lower price tags.

===

This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Sources: Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Energy.gov

Related Posts

Mother's Day: One thing is for sure, Elon Musk loves his mom [Video]

Mother’s Day: One thing is for sure, Elon Musk loves his mom [Video]

This week, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX (and soon-to-be owner of Twitter), Mr. Elon Reeve Musk, enjoyed an evening at the Met Gala with his supermodel mother Maye Musk. There’s no doubt, as we celebrate this Mother’s Day, that the richest…

Read More

Debunking common anti-EV myths, part two: responsible sourcing of raw materials

Debunking common anti-EV myths, part two: responsible sourcing of raw materials

The creators of the endless flood of anti-EV misinformation often claim to be great environmentalists—“Don’t get me wrong…” is a common beginning to their disingenuous articles and posts. In an ironic sense, there may be some truth to …

Read More

Wait, a Tesla supercar? Yes, the much-anticipated Roadster is coming next year.

Wait, a Tesla supercar? Yes, the much-anticipated Roadster is coming next year.

Tesla has continued taking pre-orders for its next-generation Roadster, a fully electric supercar reboot of its first-ever EV. The automaker had closed the reservations for Founders Series versions in December 2021.

Above: Next-ge…

Read More

Posted in

Electric Vehicles,

Tesla,

tesla news,

TSLA


Next

Previous

About Author

RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisment -
Google search engine

Most Popular

Recent Comments