Alleviate Range Anxiety and Charge Faster with the IQ 200

According to The Drive, one of the most common reasons potential customers cite for not buying an EV is fear their car will not be able to complete a journey to their destination or a suitable charging station and will instead leave the driver stranded roadside. Commonly referred to as “range anxiety,” this fear of running out of power is a significant deterrent to electric vehicle sales. Another question in the debate over range anxiety is whether this fear affects driving performance and can make the driver more nervous and reckless. While it’s apparent range anxiety is a powerful influence on drivers, is it really worth the worry?

Charging Once for the Day

InsideEVs states that according to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Household Travel Survey, 59.4% of household trips were six miles or shorter. Considering most electric vehicles have a range of between 100-350 miles, the possibility of running out of power on an average trip is unlikely. Many people make more than one trip in a day, and plenty of drivers commute farther than six miles. However, the average mileage statistic proves American trips are getting shorter and that most people would have no problem charging at home or work and not needing to charge again that day. A Level 1 Charger, which comes with the vehicle at the point of purchase, might charge most vehicles overnight. Level 2 Chargers are faster; however, they still require several hours to recharge an EV.

The Blink IQ 200 charges faster than any other Level 2 charger. The average EV has a battery capacity of around 36 kWh and an average onboard power rating of 6.6kW, taking about 5.5 hours to charge the EV from empty to full, with the average Level 2 charger. But battery capacity is increasing every day.

The Tesla Model X has a usable battery capacity of 100 kWh; With a 7.2 kW charger and a 100 kWh battery capacity, the Model X takes nearly 14 hours to charge completely with the average Level 2 charger.

Our IQ 200 charges at a rate of up to 65 miles in an hour, has an 80-amp output on a 100-amp circuit, making charging faster and easier than ever before. The Tesla that charges in 14 hours with an average charger charges in 8 hours with the IQ 200.

 If You Go the Distance

Some people commute longer distances or drive cross-country, and many believe an electric vehicle is not a practical choice for long trips. To prove long trips were possible, U.S. News and World Report’s Best Cars asked Tesla to plan a trip with stops at charging stations along five popular routes across the country. Tesla planned the itinerary for a trip from New York City, out west to Seattle, and finally down to Miami. At no point was the car in danger of losing power.

A facet of range anxiety is fear of charging time since, unlike pumping gas, charging an EV generally takes a minimum of a half-hour. However, even charging time did not prove to be a problem on the trip with a bit of planning. Most people stop to eat, rest, and sightsee for at least a half-hour each day, and many charging stations are located at restaurants, hotels, or public spaces, letting drivers charge while they eat lunch or sleep and then get back on the road.

Have a big, high-capacity EV for driving cross-country? Why not get the most power out of it as you can?  The average charger can offer up to 7.2 kW of power. Tesla’s Model X can take in up to 11.5 kW, and who knows how powerful the next model might be.

The difference between 11.5 and 7.2 is what is currently being lost with the average charger. The IQ 200 can provide up to 19.2 kW of power. The Blink IQ 200 is ready to give the Tesla even more power than it can currently take. The Model X and many other high battery capacity cars can be charged to their highest potential with an IQ 200.

Anxious Driving

According to the Journal of Advanced Transportation, range anxiety is dependent on multiple factors, such as emotional type, age, and driving experience, but did influence the way some drivers behave behind the wheel.

However, the study showed that range anxiety is like many other sources of stress—new things we’re unfamiliar with tend to make us nervous. Still, with time, drivers of all demographics began to lose their fear. Range anxiety dropped as drivers got used to driving their EVs, became familiar with their car, understood how far it could really go and became confident about where charging stations nearby could be found. An MIT study revealed that most drivers realized with time that their range anxiety was unnecessary.

Planning also decreased range anxiety, such as locating charging stations along a route and deciding when to stop before setting out. Fewer drivers also felt anxiety in states with more charging stations in general.

Research proved the more EV charging stations in an area, the lower drivers’ range anxiety. EVSE infrastructure is essential for community growth, and it has the added benefit of reducing anxiety and encouraging more consumers to purchase EVs, leading to more customers and more chargers.

The IQ 200 charges EVs in a little over half the time of other Level 2 chargers while reducing range anxiety and increasing EV sales.