'Range anxiety' is a total head game; it doesn't actually change how people drive their electric cars.
April 10, 2026
Original Paper
Are We There Yet? Evaluating the Transition to EVs
SSRN · 6545458
The Takeaway
Massive telemetry data shows that EV owners drive just as often and as far as people with gas cars. The fear of running out of battery is a barrier to buying an EV, but it disappears once people actually start using them.
From the abstract
Transitioning from internal combustion vehicles (ICEs) to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is essential for achieving many nations' climate goals. Although BEV adoption is rising, it varies substantially across regions and remains low in many countries despite significant investment from automakers and governments. Prior research has emphasized behavioral impediments to adoption, like range anxiety, and explored infrastructure design to support BEVs, often relying on surveys or niche settings li