PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • December 21, 2023
In the debate over Maine’s proposed electric vehicle regulations, range anxiety is often the first thing drivers think of. They picture nightmare scenarios of long recharging times on a road trip. But that nightmare is highly unlikely. According to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the average driver drives 29 miles per day, and 99.03% of driving trips are done at 100 miles or fewer, while 0.24 percent of all trips were over 250 miles. The median distance of a road trip in a personal vehicle was 194 miles. The average range of an EV in 2022, according to Bloomberg, was 291 miles. So for daily driving and over 99% of road trips, an EV can get you to your destination without you having to stop to recharge. ~ David Kuchta, Portland