Can I get a small EV with a 350 mile range?
I live in a townhouse with no off-street parking. I have a garage in a block but it is unpowered. As I would like to buy an EV, I monitored my driving patterns over the last few months to work out the range I need. Based on that I have concluded that I need a minimum range of 350 miles.
This is because:
A) It would allow me to charge once around every two weeks when not travelling (there is only one high power public charger near and the nearest supercharger is 40 minutes away)
B) Allow me to do my regular 200-mile motorway journey, at 70mph, with a single charge in the middle of the journey that will allow me sufficient charge for the next day irrespective of time of year.
I could by a Tesla Model 3 long-range, but to be honest its far too big and doesn’t fit my garage. I have looked at the ID.3, but I don’t want an SUV.
My ideal EV would be the size of a three-door MINI as this suits my work/life needs, being great in town and on the motorway and fits in the garage. When will there be EVs with this range in this size?
This is because:
A) It would allow me to charge once around every two weeks when not travelling (there is only one high power public charger near and the nearest supercharger is 40 minutes away)
B) Allow me to do my regular 200-mile motorway journey, at 70mph, with a single charge in the middle of the journey that will allow me sufficient charge for the next day irrespective of time of year.
I could by a Tesla Model 3 long-range, but to be honest its far too big and doesn’t fit my garage. I have looked at the ID.3, but I don’t want an SUV.
My ideal EV would be the size of a three-door MINI as this suits my work/life needs, being great in town and on the motorway and fits in the garage. When will there be EVs with this range in this size?
Asked on 18 January 2022 by Lawrence
Answered by
Andrew Brady
A long-range EV needs a huge battery pack that simply won't fit into a small MINI-sized hatchback. That's why all the smaller EVs have limited ranges (which will be sufficient for the city use most people buy them for).
To find an electric car that'll suit your needs, you might need to wait for the introduction of solid-state batteries in electric cars. These are more energy-dense than lithium-ion batteries, so a more compact battery will be able to provide more range. They're considerably more expensive than current lithium-ion batteries, though, so we probably won't see them rolled out across EVs for a number of years yet.
To find an electric car that'll suit your needs, you might need to wait for the introduction of solid-state batteries in electric cars. These are more energy-dense than lithium-ion batteries, so a more compact battery will be able to provide more range. They're considerably more expensive than current lithium-ion batteries, though, so we probably won't see them rolled out across EVs for a number of years yet.
If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.
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