Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are a powerful solutions space for climate change mitigation. However, potential BEV buyers have range anxiety, one of the biggest barriers to full-scale adoption. Range anxiety is the fear of being stranded because of low battery charge.

This data visualization study explores whether range anxiety is a justified fear in California, by analyzing data from the National Household Travel Survey - a census conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. Specifically, the study looks for patterns between household income, daily travel ranges, and vehicle type (i.e. sedan, SUV, etc).

For California drivers, the anxiety is not justified. A mid-priced EV has a range of at least 150 miles per charge. Since California car owners commute at most ~30-50 mile in total per weekday, BEVs are a suitable option for a majority of the population.

These findings raise many new questions: What are the results for the entire U.S.? Can ubiquitous battery charging stations assuage fear? Pickups are the best selling vehicles in the U.S. Are BEV companies developing affordable, long range trucks? Understanding all factors that contribute to range anxiety can help BEV stakeholders remove barriers to electrification of personal vehicle travel.