The Biggest Problems With Electric Cars That Still Haven't Been Solved
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Just because EV technology is rapidly advancing doesn't mean it's without its flaws. Electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. remains relatively low, and for a good reason - many of the biggest remaining problems are considered deal breakers by buyers and will need to be fully remedied before EVs become the default option for most people. The trouble is, solutions for these problems are not always straightforward, taking years of work and potentially billions of dollars to fix, and that's if they can be fixed at all.
Here are the most important issues that EV designers are still working to solve.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle facing the EV industry is the lack of accessible charging infrastructure available to drivers. America has had over 100 years to develop its network of gas stations, but if EVs are to become widely adopted, an equally comprehensive EV charging network needs to be developed within the space of the next decade. The government does recognize this, and in 2022, Congress passed a bill to fund 500,000 new electric vehicle chargers, with a focus on delivering infrastructure to more remote, rural parts of the country.
[...] A closely related problem to the insufficient charging infrastructure is range anxiety. Even though the longest-range EVs today can travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, a patchy charging network and the sometimes inconsistent range indicators on EVs can make longer trips a stressful experience. Most people, understandably, would rather not add any extra stress to their everyday lives and choose to dismiss buying an electric car altogether as a result.
[...] Even if EV chargers end up becoming as ubiquitous as gas stations, there's still the issue of the amount of time it takes to fully charge a car. A range of chargers are available for both home and public charging, with the fastest of those being able to deliver over 100 miles of range in 10-20 minutes, but that's still significantly slower than a gas station stop. Those top-spec Level 3 chargers can't be installed at home either. To make matters worse, not every EV supports the same level of fast charging, so depending on the model of your car, you might not be able to make use of those higher-speed chargers even if you have one nearby.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.