How Far Can An Electric Vehicle Go?

With electric vehicles becoming more affordable and more popular, many consumers are considering going electric with their next vehicle purchase. While most EVs serve as perfect replacements for gas cars, many questions and misconceptions remain about EVs and their usefulness. For example, one outstanding misconception is the thought that EVs can’t travel very far on a full charge. Drive Clean Bay Area is here to clear this up and provide a definitive answer to “how far can an electric vehicle go?”

While EVs have varying ranges, some new drivers have a lot of anxiety about exceeding their range. A bit of anxiety is common with any new technology. After all, the first driver on a road trip probably had a lot of anxiety too! While all EVs plug-in, there are two kinds. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) are completely electric, and have no internal combustion engine. BEVs generate no carbon and no pollution and have very low maintenance costs.

Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) vehicles travel a certain distance on electricity and have a backup gas tank that kicks in when the electricity runs out. PHEVs can be a good solution if you match electric range with your daily commute and are not quite comfortable with taking long road trips using only electricity as “fuel”.

Battery Electric Vehicles

Most BEVs today have a range of 200 – 300+ miles. This range is suitable for trips around town as well as longer road trips. As fast charging stations continue to pop up all over the country, your BEVs range extends even further.

At a publicly-available fast charging station, your vehicle can replenish its 200 mile range in 30 minutes. This makes longer road trips completely possible in an electric vehicle, all without any carbon emissions.

EV charger
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Gas pump or electric charger

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Most PHEVs have an electric range between 15 and 30 miles, making them ideal for short commutes. While their electric range is low, their gas engine enables them to fulfill the role of a traditional gas vehicle.

Because PHEVs use an electric motor and a gasoline engine, they have higher maintenance costs and need to be plugged in daily. And, driving a PHEV for long distances is only marginally beneficial for reducing your carbon footprint.

Drive Clean Bay Area is committed to helping you learn about electric vehicles and their many benefits. In addition, we can guide you to information about the numerous rebates and tax credits that incentivize buying an electric vehicle. If you’re interested in saving time, money, and the environment, check out our vehicle buying guide and find the EV that’s right for you!

In addition to our Buying and Driving Guide, Drive Clean Bay Area offers regular events to keep you informed of the latest vehicles, innovations, and financial incentives. Drive Clean Bay Area has recently launched a new series of free events for first-time EV owners, that focuses on details of charging, and accessing your incentives, with plenty of time for questions.

Learn more by visiting our events page.

Get Involved

Drive Clean Bay Area is a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, agencies, cities, schools, and businesses with a goal of greatly reducing carbon emissions by advancing the adoption of electric vehicles.

Through scaled community engagement programs, we inspire people to replace internal combustion vehicles with electric vehicles, e-bikes, and other forms of zero-carbon transportation. Drive Clean Bay Area launched in 2018.