But some analysts say that all that range — and all that
battery — misses the point, and wastes resources.
Only 5 percent of trips in the U.S. are longer than 30 miles. The vast majority of big batteries will never be used — particularly if the owner has a place to plug in their car every day.
“People need to hit the pause button in terms of how much range they actually need,” said Robby DeGraff, an industry analyst for AutoPacific.
At this point, it’s a cliché to point out that the American auto market thrives on size. U.S. cars are big, and are only getting bigger — from the
massive, boxy Hummer to the gigantic, snub-nosed Ford F-150 truck. And that uniquely American calling card has carried over into electric cars
. Ten years ago, the median range of an electric car in the United States was just 82 miles; in 2021, it had reached 234 miles. Those batteries are
massive, in every sense of the word: the battery on the electric F-150 Lightning, which allows the car to go more than 300 miles on a single charge, weighs a whopping
1,800 pounds.