Range anxiety is the concern that an electric vehicle's battery will run out of charge before the driver can reach their destination or a charging station. It has been one of the most cited barriers to EV adoption since the early days of modern electric vehicles.
In the early 2010s, when EVs like the Nissan LEAF offered only 73 miles of range and public charging infrastructure was sparse, range anxiety was a legitimate practical concern. Today, most new EVs offer 250-350+ miles of range, and the US has over 75,000 public charging locations with 190,000+ individual ports.
Studies show that range anxiety decreases significantly after EV ownership, as drivers learn their daily driving patterns rarely exceed available range. The average American drives about 37 miles per day — well within the capability of even budget EVs. Infrastructure growth, improved battery technology, faster charging speeds, and better in-car route planning have all contributed to reducing range anxiety. The NEVI program's goal of placing DCFC stations every 50 miles along Interstates is specifically designed to eliminate range anxiety for long-distance travel.