Worries over EV vary persist, however the variety of fashions with inside combustion-rivaling ranges is rising. The U.S. Division of Power Effectivity and Renewable Power’s first “Fact of the Week” for 2024 coated EV ranges through the 2023 mannequin 12 months, discovering that the median vary climbed and the longest-range mannequin crested 500 miles.
The Lucid Air was the long-range king final 12 months, reaching 516 miles on a cost, a far cry from the 2011 mannequin 12 months, during which EVs had ranges between 63 and 94 miles. The median vary grew to a document excessive of 270 miles, up from 257 miles in 2022 and 234 miles in 2021.
These vary numbers ought to all however put to mattress the troubles round vary anxiousness, although current EV highway journey experiences had by journalists and media members received’t do a lot to assist that trigger. Charger availability, reliability, and car charging speeds are extra urgent points for a lot of EV house owners, because the current chilly snap in Chicago confirmed how climate can wreak havoc on public charging speeds.
The Lucid Air is without doubt one of the fastest-charging EVs, together with current Kia/Hyundai/Genesis fashions. Even so, house owners are nonetheless a cease that takes 4 to 5 instances longer than filling with gasoline, and that doesn’t imply the battery is “full” after that charging time.
Regardless of these challenges and a few of the uncertainty about EVs amongst shoppers, plug-in car gross sales, which incorporates PHEVs, crested 1 million items in 2023 for the primary time. The Reality of the Week for January 29 states that cumulative light-duty plug-in car gross sales reached 4.7 million items final 12 months.
Surprisingly, PHEVs accounted for 20 % of the plug-in market in 2023. Some automakers have passed over plug-in hybrids in favor of devoted EVs, however wavering demand has led not less than one to rethink that call. GM not too long ago introduced that it could carry new hybrid fashions to market within the U.S. after getting pushback from sellers who’re seeing sluggish EV gross sales.