Why is it so difficult to design electric car/truck batteries that have the same range (about 300 miles) as gas powered vehicles?

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It’s really the only reason I haven’t bought one, as I regularly travel across Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and especially in the wintertime I understand the range is even less because of the cold.

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Anonymous 0 Comments

It is not that difficult to get the range you just need to put in more batteries.

Look at [https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g32634624/ev-longest-driving-range/](https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g32634624/ev-longest-driving-range/) and for eample [https://ev-database.org/car/1404/Tesla-Model-S-Dual-Motor](https://ev-database.org/car/1404/Tesla-Model-S-Dual-Motor) for more detail indomation

The problem with batteries is they are expensive and heavy.

Gasoline has an energy density of 46.4 MJ/kg but Lithium-ion batteries are in the 0.3-0.9MJ/kg range, that number excuses the structural part around the battery and the cooling/heating system you need. That is around 100x more weight needed for batteries. Electric motors are more energy efficient, with around 95% compared to internal combustion engines, and are in the 30% if you use them efficiently so at least 3X more efficient. This all means the battery pack will have a weight of around 30x the weight of the fuel you use right now. The battery packs always stay in the car so the mass is constant and does not drop like with an internal combustion engine.

A heavier car will require more energy to accelerate and go up a hill. So doubling the batter weight will not double the range it will be a bit less. This means if the same car model comes with two battery sizes the one with the larger battery will require more energy if you drive the same distance.

So for short-distance trips, a car with a larger battery costs more to drive. For longer distances, it might cost less because you can drive a larger part of even the whole trip with electricity from home that is cheaper than from a fast charger.

There is the question do you need to drive in one go? The trip took just under 5 hours on Google. That is quite a long time to just drive, a short break to relax, eat, and change the car something you can do,

Use a route planner like https://abetterrouteplanner.com/ and test it with some car models and look at the result. Next time you drive simulate the stop, get something to eat and stretch your legs. Now you have information about and experience of how a chain along the road influences the trip.

At the same time, you should consider the stops you make at the gas station today to fuel up your car. Try to record the times you spend filing your car including any extra distance to get to the gas station. If you charge an electric car at home you can skip all of those stops.

An electric car adds some stops during the long drive but removes stops when you drive close to home. I suspect your total time spent to fuel/ charge the car is reduced every year. A stop during a long drive is also not just wasted time but a break, an opportunity to stretch your body and eat.

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