Improving the distance that electric vehicles can travel on a single charge could save U.S. consumers $200 billion a year by the time the transportation sector fully electrifies, according to new research.
Today’s electric cars and trucks already are far more energy efficient than comparable internal combustion vehicles. But a report released Wednesday by the Electric Power Research Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council says there are ways to wring more miles out of the same amount of power.
Among them are making cars from lighter materials, squeezing more energy from smaller batteries, improving accessories such as air conditioners, and cutting air resistance and the rolling resistance of tires.
These technologies already are available, said Luke Tonachel, an NRDC senior strategist. But he said it would take public pressure or tougher government standards to get them incorporated into real-world cars.
