Thinking of switching to electric, but are unsure if it suits your lifestyle? For most drivers, confidence comes down to just a few practical realities: where you park, how far you typically drive, and how predictable your schedule is.
Answering the questions below can help you quickly assess whether driving electric fits your current lifestyle.
How many miles do you drive on a normal day?
Start by estimating how far you drive on an average day.
This will help you conceptualize how often you’ll need to charge. Many drivers are surprised to learn their daily driving needs are much lower than anticipated, and as battery technology advances and cars hold more miles, range anxiety begins to dissipate.
To estimate this:
- Add up mileage for your commute, errands, and any other regular trips
- Consider factors that affect efficiency, such as traffic, weather, and terrain
- Focus on average, not worst-case days
Once you know this number, you can better estimate how often you’ll need to charge, and whether overnight or occasional fast charging makes more sense.
How many miles do you drive on longer days?
After assessing your typical day, consider your longest driving days.
These trips may only occur weekly, monthly, or just a few times a year, but should still be accounted for. Understanding how often and far these longer trips occur helps you plan how to incorporate charging in your lifestyle without anxiety.
Ask yourself:
- How far do you drive on your longest days?
- How often do these trips happen?
- Do you usually know about them in advance?
Predictability can matter more than distance. Planning ahead and preparing for long driving days can help ensure ample charging access and minimize detours.
Do the places you normally park already have available chargers
Charging is easiest when you can charge in places you already spend time.
Think of your home, school, work, or any other place you park. Are stations already available at these locations? Next time you visit, see if stations are installed. You can also check for Chargie stations near you or use online EV station discovery maps to find public stations along your routes.
Level 3 stations charge most electric vehicles in under an hour, making the process quick and seamless.
What will your plan be for road trips and longer travel days?
Range anxiety is real, but manageable.
Like gas stations being in most nooks and crannies of the US, public EV charging stations are popping up in places drivers need them most, especially along major travel corridors. Most EV drivers plan charging stops along their route the same way they plan food or rest breaks, often using the break to cover all three bases.
Before traveling, it helps to:
- Check charging availability along routes you commonly travel
- Understand how frequently you currently take long road trips and how often you wish to in the future
- Check how long it would take to charge your desired EV model
- Get comfortable charging during your stops
- Learn more about best practices for road tripping in an EV here
Review the factors. Does driving electric fit your lifestyle?
It’s likely more achievable than you think.
If your daily miles are predictable and you have reliable places to charge, driving electric is an easy option. Thanks to a growing EV charging network, newer, state-of-the-art models, and improved station-discovery tools, driving electric is often already a feasible option for most drivers.
Developing a charging plan that fits your lifestyle is the first and most important step toward EV adoption. For many drivers who already have charging access at home, work, public sites, or along their current route, this plan is already in place.
Chargie is here to help
At Chargie, we are working to democratize EV charging so everyone who wants to drive electric can. Interested in getting stations installed at places you need them most? Reach out to one of our EV charging experts who can help you through the entire process.
