EV Myth Busted? 1,000 km on Just 43 Minutes of Charging

A recent long-distance drive shows just how practical electric vehicles have become for regional travel. In this case, a driver completed a roughly 1,000-kilometre round trip from Hall Village in the ACT to Hay in regional New South Wales and back in a single day- while spending less than three-quarters of an hour charging along the way.

The journey challenges one of the most common concerns about EVs: that long trips require lengthy stops and careful planning. Instead, the total charging time added up to only about 43 minutes across multiple stops, which is actually shorter than the rest breaks typically recommended for drivers on a trip of that length.

Rather than being a major inconvenience, the charging stops were short and naturally aligned with breaks for food, coffee, or stretching. This meant the driver wasn’t waiting around for the car; instead, the car was charging while normal travel pauses were happening anyway.

The route itself ran from Hall Village to Gumly Gumly near Wagga Wagga, then on to Hay, before returning via the same stops. Even through these more regional parts of New South Wales- where charging infrastructure might be expected to be limited- the trip was completed comfortably using fast chargers along the way.

The journey also highlights how much charging infrastructure and vehicle efficiency have improved. Fast chargers placed along key highways allowed for quick top-ups, making it easy to maintain momentum without long delays. With modern EVs capable of covering large distances between charges, only brief stops are needed to comfortably complete even very long day trips.

Another key takeaway is that planning still plays a role, but it’s becoming simpler. With the help of route-planning tools, drivers can easily identify where to stop and how long to charge, removing much of the uncertainty that once surrounded EV travel.

Overall, the experience demonstrates that covering around 1,000 kilometres in a day with an electric vehicle is not only possible, but increasingly convenient. In fact, the total charging time can be less than the breaks drivers should already be taking, making EV road trips feel much closer to those in traditional petrol cars than many people expect.

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Original Article Source: The Driven