New research shows increasing driver confidence in electric vehicles
Tue 12 October 2010
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The latest results from two large-scale, ongoing year-long studies into UK drivers of electric cars show that confidence in using the vehicles is increasing and 'range anxiety' diminishing. The research, funded by the Technology Strategy Board, is part of a large-scale study into the UK’s long-term low carbon vehicle, providing the first real world analysis on the cost of ‘refuelling’ and new information on charging trends.
Initial indicators from the year-long trial, part of the Technology Strategy Board’s £25m Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator programme, suggest that the electric cars were being used similarly to their petrol-run counterparts.
The findings of the CABLED (Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrators) project, which is now six months into the trial, show that drivers are travelling more miles, more frequently and are making longer journeys, indicating increased confidence and, notably, reduced range anxiety.
The CABLED consortium has been testing 110 vehicles, and is the largest of eight public trials as part of the £25 million Technology Strategy Board’s Ultra Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstrator competition. Each vehicle in the CABLED trial is fitted with GPS and data logger which records the usage, location and charging habits of each vehicle so that researchers can analyse information such as the frequency of distinct journeys and the amount of energy used.
Brian Price of Aston University who undertook the results analysis commented: “The journey data gathered is already showing that the current generation of ultra-low carbon vehicles are cheap to run as well as being comparable to petrol and diesel vehicles for speed, ease of use and daily journey distance; using less than 30% of total charge in typical daily use".
Project leader Neil Butcher from Arup said the results were encouraging for the mass take up of electric cars. He said (reported by Business Green): "The phenomenon known as ‘range anxiety’ is falling as drivers become more familiar with their vehicles. The low costs of ‘refuelling’ in relatively short periods of time reinforce this. While there are technical challenges ahead – extending vehicle range and preparing for increased demands on the national grid – our results show that even current vehicles are more than capable of meeting users’ day-to-day needs."
The CABLED results indicate an average charge time per charge of just less than two hours, with a typical energy transfer of 4-8kWh costing between 40p and £1 depending on the tariff and providing sufficient charge for 20-40 miles of travel.
In related news, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reports that only 55 electric vehicles (EVs) were registered in the UK in 2009, a 90 percent drop compared to the 397 registered at the peak of sales in 2007.
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