Anxiety vs reality - Sufficiency of battery electric vehicle range in Switzerland and Finland

Limitations of battery capacity in battery electric vehicles (BEVs) contribute to what is known as range anxiety, and therefore poses an obstacle to their mass-market adoption. While high-range BEVs have been recently introduced, it is not clear whether they will be able to cover all possible trips without long recharging detours, and what the infrastructure needs of those vehicles are. To understand the impact of range limitations in Switzerland and Finland, we constructed a simulation model that is based on representative national travel surveys. We use it to calculate the potential of BEVs to cover any trips and investigate options to increase this coverage. The options discussed in this paper are ways to facilitate easy recharging, such as infrastructure development policies. We complement our results with insights from three focus groups. The results suggest that 85-90% of all national trips could have already been covered with BEVs prevalent in 2016. If the charging station infrastructure is developed appropriately and high-range BEVs are adopted, it is possible to reach a potential coverage of 99% or more in both countries. Deploying charging stations at users' homes and in residential areas does contribute significantly to this improvement and is desirable from a car user's perspective. Providing fast-charging stations in other locations is necessary to maximise the potential. We recommend to focus policy efforts on the development of residential charging options and to increase the visibility of electro-mobility using fast-charging stations.