How can the range of electric vehicles be increased?
Electric vehicles still have room for improvement in two areas in particular: initial cost and range. Given the current state of technology, driving long distances purely on battery power won't be feasible, even in the medium term. A key aspect of increasing range is a significant improvement of the energy and power density as well as the lifespan of traction batteries. Therefore the research and development work to improve the lithium-ion technology, but also the post-lithium-ion technologies needs to be continued and expanded. Furthermore, there is significant potential for range extention in the propulsion systems, an integrated energy management and the development of new materials. Plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or range extended electric vehicle (REEV) are an alternative for longer distances.