Opinion: electric charging mistakes and mitigators

Earlier this week, The Times of London published an article about a motorist who was left stranded when her electric vehicle ran out of juice on a four-hour journey — and all of the charging points for her electric car were out of order.

The motorist later Tweeted, “I can now confidently say it is a stupid idea to get an electric car.” While being stranded after running out of power is certainly an unfortunate situation, I’d argue that this incident should be looked at more as an eye-opener to how we can better address the inevitable increase in electric vehicle sales.

It’s true that range anxiety is diminishing as battery technology improves, but recharge anxiety is increasing, and that needs to be addressed. The industry has to avoid well-publicized missteps like these with better planning, greater availability, and regular maintenance of recharging networks.

As my colleague, Mark Hawtin, highlights in the recent blog, “A Closer Look at Electric Vehicle Penetration and Impact,” it’s predicted that EV sales will grow from 1.1 million worldwide in 2017, to a whopping 11 million in 2025, and then 30 million in 2030 — so planning an EV recharging network correctly is crucial. Kalibrate can help to ensure that you get this right the first time. Find out how