Worried About Running Out of Charge? Tips for Tackling Range Anxiety for Business EV Drivers
As I see more businesses in the UK embrace electric vans to lower emissions and reduce running costs, there is one concern that continues to crop up for drivers and fleet managers alike: range anxiety. A term that describes the fear of an electric vehicle (EV) running out of charge. For Commercial Vehicle users, whose vehicles are the lifeblood of operations and productivity — making deliveries, visiting customers, or moving between sites — it’s a critical concern.
The good news is: range anxiety is often more perception than reality. With advances in vehicle technology, growing public charging infrastructure, and better route planning tools, managing your electric van range is easier than ever. In this article, we’ll unpack together what range anxiety is, share practical planning tips, and explain how our confidence grows with experience.
Breakdown:
What is Range Anxiety and Why Does it Happen?
Understanding Real-World Range: Reassurance Through Facts
Practical Planning Tips for Business EV Drivers
Support and Mindset: Building Confidence in Drivers
Reality vs Perception: The Truth About Range Anxiety
Confidence Grows with Experience
What is Range Anxiety and Why Does it Happen?
Range anxiety is the fear that your electric van won’t have enough charge to complete its journey or reach the next charging station. For business drivers, this isn’t just an inconvenience — it can feel like a direct threat to productivity and customer satisfaction. If the wheels are not turning, the vehicles not earning!
Unlike diesel or petrol vehicles, where refuelling takes minutes and forecourts are everywhere, EV drivers rely on charging stations, which vary in availability, speed, and accessibility. This unfamiliarity — combined with a lack of understanding about real-world range and how modern EVs perform — feeds anxiety, especially for businesses transitioning their first vehicles to electric.
Understanding Real-World Range: Reassurance Through Facts
One of the first steps in tackling range anxiety is understanding your real-world electric van range. While official WLTP (Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure) figures offer a useful guide, all the usual factors like driving style, load weight, weather conditions, and terrain all affect actual range. 1
For example, the Farizon SV, designed for urban and regional business use, delivers a real-world range that comfortably covers most daily SME and fleet operations — typically between 100-200 miles per day*. Research shows the average daily mileage for a UK van is around 34 miles per day or 12,500 PA, with fewer than 4% of vans covering more than 150 miles a day.
This means that, for the majority of business users, electric van range is more than sufficient for daily routes, especially when vehicles are topped up overnight or at depots. All that said, testing the vehicle in your operation is imperative.
Practical Planning Tips for Business EV Drivers
It is good to plan! It removes much of the uncertainty surrounding EV driving. Here are some things I have learned to help you stay ahead of range anxiety:
1. Know Your Route and Range Requirements
Assess your regular routes and daily mileage. If your journeys are predictable — like local deliveries or site visits — you can plan charging stops or overnight top-ups easily. If ad-hoc jobs crop up, use mapping tools like Zap-Map, Paua or Electroverse to locate nearby rapid chargers.
2. Build a Charging Routine
It may sound obvious but Charging when you are stopped, rather than stopping to Charge, is best. Establish regular charging habits. Whether it’s plugging in overnight at a depot, topping up during lunch breaks, or charging while parked at customer sites, having a consistent routine ensures vehicles are always ready for the next job.
3. Use In-Vehicle Range Tools
Modern electric vans, including those from Farizon, come equipped with accurate range prediction systems. These take into account current charge levels, driving conditions, planned routes and give an updated range remaining accordingly.
4. Factor in Weather and Load
Heavier payloads and cold weather reduce range, so allow for extra capacity on days when vans are fully loaded or temperatures drop. Pre-conditioning the vehicle while plugged in can preserve range by warming the cabin without draining the battery on the move. Heated seats and steering wheel help here too, keeping drivers warm while minimising use of the battery. You have to love a bum warmer!
Support and Mindset: Building Confidence in Drivers
I often recommend starting your whole electrification project with the drivers! The psychological side of range anxiety is just as important as the practical one. Our van drivers, moving from diesel to electric, often worry about change — but with the right support, their confidence quickly grows.
1. Fleet Manager Support
Fleet managers play a vital role by:
- Monitoring vehicle usage and charging patterns – Telematics adds value here
- Providing clear guidance on charging locations and costs – Apps and payment cards
- Reassuring drivers with real data on range performance
- Establishing clear policies for home charging or expenses – It is even possible to pay the home energy
- bill for the Van use.
Regular communication and sharing success stories from other drivers can go a long way in easing anxieties.
2. Training and Familiarisation
A proper handover is essential to get the best from both driver and vehicle. Offering driver induction sessions covering vehicle features, public charging, and range management builds confidence. Even a short demonstration of a rapid charge stop can help demystify the process.
3. Reframing the Conversation
It’s helpful to compare the fuel range of diesel vans, which typically have around 350-450 miles per tank — but how often do drivers fill up from empty? In reality, most vans are refuelled with a quarter of a tank remaining. The same principle applies to EVs: you don’t need to drive to zero. Drivers learn to ‘top up’ opportunistically, which eliminates much of the stress. You also don’t fill to full with an EV when you are out and about and on rapid chargers as the most efficient range is 20-80%. After that the charging speed will often slow significantly.
Reality vs Perception: The Truth About Range Anxiety
Much of what drives range anxiety is outdated perceptions. A recent National Grid survey found that 54% of people overestimate the number of miles they drive daily, while 63% underestimated the number of public chargers available. In fact, the UK now has over 116,910 connectors across more than 40,000 locations, with rapid and ultra-rapid options growing fast.
Additionally, modern EVs benefit from regenerative braking and efficient power management, meaning that many business drivers report lower-than-expected energy use on typical routes, especially as drivers get used to the vehicle. Familiarity is your friend!
Confidence Grows with Experience
I know that switching to electric vans is a big step for any business — but range anxiety doesn’t need to be a barrier. The combination of accurate range data, growing infrastructure, and sensible charging routines means that electric van drivers quickly adjust and gain confidence.
As more businesses integrate models like the Farizon SV into their fleets, they find that range concerns fade with familiarity. The key is driver engagement planning, support, and mindset. With experience comes reassurance, and soon what once felt like a challenge becomes just another part of the working day.
If your business is ready to make the move to zero-emission transport and reap the operational and environmental benefits, get in touch with the team at Farizon Auto UK. They will help you map out your routes, assess your range needs, and build a charging strategy that keeps your business moving without compromise.
*Depending on Battery size selected.
