Range anxiety — the fear of running out of charge before reaching a charger — is the most common concern for drivers considering switching to an EV. Here's the honest picture.
The Reality Check
The vast majority of UK EV drivers charge at home, overnight. They wake up to a full battery every single day. For these drivers, range anxiety is essentially irrelevant — just like petrol drivers don't worry about running out because they refuel regularly.
Range anxiety is a longer-journey problem. And for longer journeys, it's manageable with some basic planning.
Five Rules That Eliminate Range Anxiety
1. Never Leave for a Long Journey Below 80%
Start full, or close to it. This sounds obvious but it's the single biggest source of unnecessary stress.
2. Plan Charging Stops Before You Go
Most modern EVs have built-in route planners that factor in charging. Tesla's navigation is the gold standard — it routes you automatically. Non-Tesla drivers can use ABRP (A Better Route Planner) or the built-in sat-nav.
3. Stop at 20%, Not 10%
The 10% panic stop is avoidable. If you've planned properly and stop at 20%, you have genuine margin and the stop is relaxed.
4. Don't Charge to 100% at Rapid Chargers
Charging above 80% at a rapid charger is slow and expensive. Get to 80% and drive to the next stop. Save 100% charging for overnight hotel or home sessions.
5. Find Hotels with EV Charging
Stays on Sento are labelled charging on-site, charging nearby or standard — confirm charging with the property or a live charging map such as Zapmap before you travel. A Sento Charging Promise is coming soon.
Ready to plan your next EV trip?
We're working on it. Here's where it stands.
Related Reading
Ready to plan your next EV trip?
We're working on it. Here's where it stands.