Electric vehicle sales have been a mixed bag in the U.S. over the past few years, but one trend has held steady throughout: The driving range of new electric cars is now better than ever, and fast-charging times are rapidly improving. According to Volvo, drivers now need to think differently about how quick their fast-charging stop really needs to be.
“We have discovered a new phenomenon,” Anders Bell, the chief engineering and technology officer at Volvo Cars, told reporters at the U.S. debut of the EX60 in New York City. “It’s called hot dog anxiety, which replaces range anxiety,” he added.
For the record, there’s nothing wrong with the culinary appeal of hot dogs. Instead, Bell was referring to drivers going to get a bite to eat, staying longer than their car needs to actually charge, and overspending on charging because of it.
Photo by: Volvo
The lack of fast and ubiquitous charging options has long been a frustration for EV drivers. But public fast-charging networks are expanding rapidly in the U.S., with higher-powered stations becoming increasingly common. Newer EVs with 800-volt architectures also get charging speeds that would have seemed outlandish just a few years ago.
Take the new Volvo EX60 as an example. The Swedish automaker claims it can charge from 10-80% in just 16 minutes at a 350-kilowatt station. The new BMW iX3 pushes even further, with a maximum charging rate of 400 kW that can add up to 185 miles of range in 10 minutes. And the newly revealed Mercedes-AMG GT will charge at a staggering 600 kW, enough to go from 10-80% in just 11 minutes.
Photo by: BMW
With speeds like these, Bell suggested that drivers often only need a quick pit stop to get enough range to get home safely. They don’t necessarily need a full charge, or even a typical 10-80% top up. Since most EV owners charge at home overnight, road trips often only call for brief stops along the way. But drivers might be losing track of how quickly the electrons—and the dollars—add up.
“Just a few minutes later, they have charged for $25, which becomes a very expensive hot dog,” Bell said.
Volvo didn’t share any specific data to back up this trend, so I still recommend you treat this with a grain of salt. But Bell’s comments indeed speak to a broader shift underway in the industry. Charging times are shrinking, and 300 miles of range is quickly becoming the norm, with automakers increasingly chasing 400-plus mile targets.
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
With that in mind, quick charging stops make a lot of sense. If you’re only 100 miles away from home, you probably don’t need to charge to 80%. A quick top-up to 40% might be all you need to get back to your driveway and then plug in overnight. No need to overspend on a fast charger for range you don’t actually need.
Moreover, such ultra-fast charging speeds are no longer confined to premium EVs like the EX60. The $35,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 with its 800-volt architecture takes about 20 minutes to go from 10-80%. The same goes for the mechanically-similar Kia EV6. But beyond the Hyundais and Kias, you don’t really get ultra-fast charging speeds on affordable models.
For most Teslas and other mass-market EVs, a 10-80% charge still takes around 30-40 minutes, so I don’t think those drivers are accidentally overcharging or overspending. It also doesn’t apply to EV drivers who live in apartments and don’t have easy access to overnight charging. Those drivers will prefer the extra range, especially if they rely exclusively on public fast chargers.
Perhaps, some day, when charging is abundant and super fast on all EVs, “hot dog anxiety” might feel a lot more relatable.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com