Range anxiety is one of the most common concerns among people considering an electric vehicle. The idea of running out of charge and being stranded can feel intimidating, especially for drivers who have spent their entire lives refuelling gasoline vehicles. The reality, however, looks very different once someone actually owns and lives with an EV.

According to new data highlighted by battery health startup Recurrent, range anxiety drops dramatically after purchase. Research from Plug In America shows that 48 percent of shoppers report persistent range anxiety before buying an EV. After ownership, that number falls to just 22 percent. In other words, simply driving an EV and learning how it fits into daily life eliminates most of the fear.

This shift is not new. A 2023 Recurrent survey found that 78 percent of EV owners said their range anxiety decreased with experience and familiarity. The trend has only accelerated since then as modern EVs offer longer ranges and charging infrastructure continues to expand. Pre-purchase anxiety alone dropped by nearly 22 percent compared to 2024.

One major reason is that most drivers overestimate how much range they actually need. The average American drives roughly 48 to 64 kilometers per day. Meanwhile, modern EVs now average around 480 kilometers of total driving range. Just like most drivers rarely empty a full tank of gas in a single day, EV owners barely tap into their available range during normal use.

Even among drivers who own long-range EVs, most of that capacity goes unused. Recurrent reports that the average EV owner uses only about 12.6 percent of their available range on a typical day. Drivers with EVs capable of more than 560 kilometers of range still leave over 88 percent of that capacity untouched most days.

Road trips do require a bit more planning, but they are becoming easier every year as charging networks grow and vehicles charge faster. Many EV owners also discover they do not need to charge to 100 percent daily. Instead, keeping the battery around 80 percent for everyday driving becomes the norm, with full charges reserved for longer journeys.

The takeaway is simple. Range anxiety is largely a pre-ownership concern. Once drivers understand their habits and experience the convenience of home charging, that worry tends to fade quickly. EVs continue to improve, and for most people, they already meet daily driving needs far better than expected.