Addressing EV Range Concerns

The distance, or range, that a battery electric vehicle (BEV) can travel before requiring recharging continues to be a concern for potential purchasers. The ‘letter of the month’ in the March 2025 edition of the Which? journal provides a great case study for dealers of the questions or concerns many will need to address to help buyers make the switch to a BEV confidently. 

The reader reflected that now was not the right time to switch to a BEV, as the highest range in the Which? EV guide was 390 miles, whereas his current five-year-old Mercedes GLS 2-litre diesel could travel 550 miles on a full tank. 

The reader’s concerns/questions were: 

• “However good EVs may be for around trips of 200 miles or so, they still can’t replace a traditionally fuelled vehicle for long journeys without a great deal of inconvenience.” 
• “How long does a full recharge take?” 
• “Where can I recharge?” 
• “How much will it cost?” 
• “Can I recharge abroad?” 

Dealers need to be able to handle these questions easily and make sure the customer does not feel put down or embarrassed. As with any new experience, these are all perfectly valid questions, and the following should be added: “How do I charge an EV, and with what cables?” 

In a forthcoming post, we will provide suggested responses to these concerns, but ahead of this, there are some driving points of relevance to the reader’s concerns about long-distance driving; 

Average Annual UK Car Mileage 

According to the latest Department of Transport statistics, the average annual mileage across all car types was 8,161 or just 157 miles per week. 

Few drivers will regularly exceed 200 miles in a single journey, and a 550-mile journey, which would be something thing like London to Inverness, which is 569 miles, would take approximately 9 hours and 50 minutes. Some stops would seem likely and, indeed, recommended 

The Highway Code ‘Fitness to Drive “  

In terms of driving non-stop for an extended journey, Rule 91 of the Highway Code states, “Plan your journey to take sufficient breaks. A minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended.” 

According to research published by the RAC, more than a quarter of UK drivers who take their vehicles abroad admit to driving for more than five hours in one stint; nine out of ten ignore the recommended limit of two hours or less before a break.  

While stopping for a break is not a legal requirement in the UK, it is across the EU (drivers are not permitted to drive for more than four and a half hours before stopping); any incident arising from excessive tiredness caused by driving for an extended period could have uncomfortable insurance claims implications. 

In short, few people undertake regular long journeys; however, if they do, a BEV is perfectly viable (ask the many long-distance company car drivers). It does require some planning and a bit of extra time for stops. Still, many will say that they arrive at their destination feeling fresher and adapting to this slightly different and arguably safer driving regime quickly becomes second nature.