RAC reassures EV drivers worried they'll 'run out of charge'

The RAC wants to dispel concerns for drivers who are anxious about their EV running out of charge during traffic jams. The breakdown cover provider shared guidance via a Facebook post, addressing the common question of what happens to EV drivers caught in long queues.

In the post, a motoring expert argued that it is a myth 'EVs can run out of charge in long traffic jams.' For a video shared on Facebook, the RAC invited James, Business Director at Zapmap, to share advice for customers.

The RAC wrote: "Worried your EV might run out of charge in long traffic jams? James, Business Director at Zapmap, breaks down the facts and sets the record straight." The video was titled: "EV myth busting."

In the clip, James told viewers: "Using things like the radio, heating, air conditioning, takes very little battery energy compared to, say, accelerating the car up to 70 miles an hour. An EV can power those things for a very long time if you're stuck in a traffic jam."

Consumer watchdog Which? has also addressed the 'myth' on behalf of drivers. In a video posted on Facebook last year, the Which? team responded to a query regarding traffic jams, which read: "If all cars were electric and they got caught in the traffic jam, air con blasting, radio on, wouldn't they all run out of charge?"

During the test, Adrian remained in a fully electric SUV for approximately 80 minutes with the air conditioning running, heated seats activated, music streaming, and a film playing, reports the Mirror.

Later that day, the Which? team reconnected with Adrian to examine the outcome of the 'extremely energy-draining traffic jam.' The presenter asked: "What's the damage, Adrian?" He replied: "I've been sitting here for about an hour and twenty minutes. Heated seats are still going. The air con is still going. As you can see, I've lost a grand total of 2%."

The presenter added: "So not exactly fatal to your car." Adrian said: "No, not at all. Now, the car thinks I have lost about eight miles of range while I've been sat here, but I think the best thing to do is take it for a drive and see how long the car thinks I have before I need to charge."

He continued: "I've been driving around for a little bit, and I'd say myth busted. It just goes to show that the car really does use quite a small amount of power while you're stationary, even if you do have your heated seats, your air con, a movie going on the tablet, and streaming through to Android Auto.

"What could make a difference in the future is the weather. Batteries don't like the cold. So if it was a winter's day, if it was close to freezing, then it's quite possible the car would have used a bit more energy."

RAC advice for winter driving says: "If you drive an electric car, ensure you have sufficient battery charge for your journey and make a note of charging locations on your route so you can top up the battery if required. Charge Watch is the RAC's initiative that monitors the average cost of charging an electric car so that you get a fair price."