The fear of running out of range in an electric car vs. the reality of Czech roads, the Croatian paradox and the Zeekr 7X 1,000 km challenge

The fear of running out of range in an electric car vs. the reality of Czech roads, the Croatian paradox and the Zeekr 7X 1,000 km challenge

When people are choosing an electric car, one of the first questions that comes up is: “How far does it go?” Yet they often don’t realise just how much they overestimate the distance they actually drive each day.

In fact, according to data from the Ministry of Transport and the Transport Research Centre, the average car in the Czech Republic spends 23 hours a day simply staring sadly at the pavement and gathering dust. Whilst the average Czech only drives around 30 kilometres a day, we often choose a car based on the so-called ‘Croatian paradox’ – that is, based on the single trip to the seaside we make once a year. Generally speaking, people paradoxically choose cars based on ‘what if’ scenarios – a huge SUV with a ski rack, but in reality you only go to the mountains once a year, a 4×4 off-roader, but you rarely drive off-road, a 7-seater, but you drive it alone to work or carry a maximum of 3 children, and so on and so forth.

Car manufacturers are well aware of these paradoxes. They know that, in the case of electric cars, you don’t actually need a massive battery, but they understand that your mind needs one for peace of mind and just in case. Whilst in 2015 a range of 150 km was the norm and cost a fortune, today the standard is 500–700 km for most brands. New brands such as Zeekr are also introducing ultra-fast charging, which often exceeds the capacity of even the most powerful chargers currently available.

1,000 km in an electric car Zeekr 7X in under 9 hours

By the way, this 1,000 km challenge by the famous Bjørn Nyland is brilliant. On his Zeekr 7X, he covered
1,000 km in just under 9 hours, and he didn’t even have the chance to find a charger powerful enough to allow for maximum charging speed.

With a range of over 500 km and fast charging from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes, range is no longer an issue. How many kilometres do you actually drive each day? And would you prefer the peace of mind of a car with a massive battery, or would you be happy with a smaller battery because 1. you rarely drive more than 200 km, and 2. the car charges quickly and you’ll stop for a loo break anyway after 2–3 hours’ driving?