'Range anxiety' decreases and boosts electric vehicle sales

Juniper Research is forecasting that 17 million hybrid and electric vehicles will be on the road by 2020. Last year, the projection was for 12 million, but the researcher said that increasingly aggressive go-to-market strategies are addressing the main consumer concern — expected range from a fully charged vehicle.

The current (UK-based) research suggests that companies best placed to drive the viability and desirability of electric vehicles will adopt rollout of a wide-scale public charging infrastructure, improve vehicle battery life and range per charge, and conduct effective consumer education campaigns.

Juniper ranked the top 5 electric vehicle manufacturers, scoring them on five key factors: vehicle range (EPA rated mileage [Environmental Protection Agency]); vehicle sales; infrastructure implementation; time spent in development and deployment; future plans and innovation — resulting in the following rankings:

1. Tesla
2. BMW
3. Nissan
4. Chevrolet
5. Ford

Tesla, an OEM solely manufacturing electric vehicles, scored highly with strong sales, superior mileage range and firm commitment to its Tesla Supercharge scheme. While BMW and Nissan have witnessed high sales, their electric vehicle capabilities lag behind Tesla.

Additionally, the research highlighted the urgent need to invest in consumer education focusing on the capabilities and benefits of electric vehicles, as well the need for an aggressive investment plan to install public charging outlets on all major routes. It recommended that OEMs take an active role in this education process, investing in campaigns to communicate the capabilities and benefits of electric vehicles in order for them to be viewed as a real alternative to combustion engines.