Managing EV battery range on long distance trips

The challenge was to better understand battery range and performance, and to investigate regional charging infrastructure, as well as to enjoy their travels in a sustainable zero emissions vehicle.

Taka Mapfumo (Relationship Manager with Custom Fleet) travelled from Melbourne to Bendigo, Bendigo to Horsham (425km), and back.

Leonard Tham (Director, Mobility and Strategic Partnerships) drove from Melbourne to Mount Feathertop (345km) in the Victorian High Country. Leonard’s wife was supportive, although she remarked: "If you run out of charge, don't call me to pick you up."

Range anxiety is still alive and well!

As public charging stations more common and drivers become more experienced with their vehicles, range anxiety will likely become less of an issue.

But for now, running out of battery charge before reaching the next charging station is still front of mind for EV drivers.

Route planning is your friend

Because driving through mountainous regions can add uncertainty to range estimation, both Taka and Leonard spent time planning their respective routes before heading out and chose to play it safe with safe stop-overs.

The use of apps like Chargefox provide vital information about station locations and can also help streamline the payment process.

Taka found that some charging stations on national highways are still a little inconvenient, as they require detours to nearby towns off the highway.

Long distances can still make you nervous

Taka commented: “Despite meticulous planning, range anxiety reared its head for me on the journey back from Horsham. With careful monitoring and strategic driving, I managed to arrive at the charging station with a mere 20 kilometres of range left. It was a nail-biting experience, but it underscored the importance of planning and adaptability. It was raining on the way home and needed to demystify the windows and we knew it will consume energy, so we decided to have our windows down. We had to be smart how we consume our energy.”

Leonard found an expected charger: “I ended up stopping at Ovens, topped up quickly and continued my journey. When I reached my motel, I discovered a working 7KW AC charger, free for guests. Relief washed over me knowing I could charge overnight.”

Public charging station experiences

Taka found that charging stops were surprisingly smooth, with plenty of available and efficient DC fast-charging bays in smaller towns. My overall experience was positive.

Leonard’s experience differed slightly. The first hour and a half of his drive was uneventful. But just before arriving at the Euroa Supercharger, he received a notification of congestion. All the Superchargers were occupied! “It occurred to me the key difference between EV charging and refuelling a combustion car was the uncertainty of wait times.”

Key learnings

• Meticulous planning around public charger locations on your route, and adaptability are the key to reducing range anxiety stress.
• Consider the range of your EV under various conditions (highways, city driving, etc) and consider the impact of weather on battery performance.
• It was a good test all the way home for stop and start traffic. Stop start does not consume a lot of energy. Consistent distance however, does use more battery. Be mindful that air-conditioning uses more energy, too.
• Taka ‘s reflection on his trip: “Driving an EV is much quieter without the roar of an engine. The journey felt futuristic and environmentally conscious. The only notable difference was the need for strategic energy management, especially in challenging driving conditions.”
• Leonard said: “As I contemplate my next trip, I'm excited for more EV adventures on the open road!”

Our recommendations to industry

As the EV market continues to grow, there’s room for improvement in operations to support EV usage and uptake, to reduce range anxiety:

• Wait times for chargers – there’s room in the charging infrastructure business to find a way to give drivers visibility of wait times at a charging station they’re planning on using.
• Destination charging is critical – as EV’s become more common, retail business owners could look at installing charging infrastructure as a point of difference. More and more consumers will make decisions on where they want to spend their money based on such services.
• Make it easier to locate EV chargers – More and more drivers will need to be able to locate chargers easily without necessarily going to the providers mobile app. This means prominent signage on key roads as well as in the area that the chargers are located.

Contact us to electrify your fleet

Get in touch with us today if you’d like to start electrifying your fleet and driving towards a sustainable and regenerative future.