Bosch, a German manufacturer of automobile components, has said that it is optimistic that electric vehicles will be offered with a minimum of 180 miles of range per charge by 2020.
Image Credit: Bosch
Is this possible? Technically, yes. Electric vehicles have already exceeded that range. (On the high end, for example: some Tesla Motors vehicles achieve up to 300 miles per charge, but an average of 265 miles based on the EPA test cycle). But such vehicles have so far been quite expensive. Bosch seems confident that will change in the coming few years.
The likelihood of this minimum range offer would be determined by the feasibility and cost of certain batteries. If the cost of batteries decreases enough, there would be enough financial room to install 180 miles worth of batteries in all electric vehicles. Alternatively, even if batteries didn’t get cheaper, if their gravimetric energy densities increased enough, that would increase their range because they would be lighter.
Fortunately, gravimetric battery energy density is improving, and battery costs are decreasing. Therefore, electric vehicles look like they are on the path to the 180 mile minimum.
Bosch also expects a plug-in electric vehicle mass market by 2020.
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