In order to counter the initial affects of range anxiety, several different things must be taken into consideration. From charging stations located at convenient mileage intervals, to marketing departments assuring would be buyers that there range numbers are indeed accurate, everything must be accounted for.
One aspect of charging that could quickly alleviate most fears of range anxiety is fast charging capabilities. Many battery manufacturers allow the use of fast chargers on their batteries, but some do not. The reason that fast charging is not permitted on some battery design is associated with battery warranty concerns.
If a battery manufacturer promises 10 years of life from their batteries, then they will provide a warranty for that time frame. Fast charging, due to the strains placed on the battery, could significantly reduce the life of the battery causing failures prior to the end of the warranty period.
Current battery technology such as lithium manganese and lithium iron phosphate do not respond well to fast charging. The technology is capable of fast charging, but it reduces the life of the battery. The most promising technology for fast charging is lithium titanate which through testing shows little negative affects due to fast charging.
Lithium titanate battery technology is expensive at this point, but prices will drop over time. A fast charge setup allows some batteries to be charged to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes. This type of charging allows buyers to stop at a grocery store, pick up a few products, nearly recharge their car to capacity and head off on their way.
Fast charging is essential to an EVs success in our fast paced country where time is money and fast is never fast enough.
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