The average range of electric vehicles currently stands at close to 240 kilometres. A new study predicts that the average range will surpass the 400-kilometre mark by 2020.
One of the biggest obstacles preventing the breakthrough of electric mobility worldwide is the limited range of electric vehicles. But as a new study by the consultancy firm Horváth & Partners reveals, the range in newer models is increasingly appreciably.
In 2011, the average range for electric vehicles sold in Germany was 140 kilometres. Four years later, that number had jumped by 100 kilometres to reach 240 kilometres for electric vehicles powered solely by batteries.
“For far too long, carmakers saw the nucleus of electric mobility in the urban environment and designed their vehicles accordingly. This was a strategic mistake, not only in terms of design, vehicle size and driving pleasure but also in terms of range,” says the study’s author Dr. Oliver Greiner, a partner at Horváth & Partners.
“With falling battery prices and improved battery technology, carmakers will install significantly higher ranges in their electric vehicles in the coming years,” adds co-author Heiko Fink. “We expect that by 2020, a new purely electric vehicle will be able to drive on average well over 400 kilometres on a single battery charge.”
New electric vehicles are already starting to boast impressive ranges. Tesla’s Model X has a range of up to 400 kilometres, and GM recently announced that its Opal Ampera will have a range of 320 kilometres. Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen, Daimler and Ford have all indicated that they will launch electric vehicles in the over 300-kilometre range by 2020.
Image credit: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., flickr/Creative Commons
