The majority of vehicles on the road in the United States could be replaced by EVs, putting paid to range anxiety, new research has found.

The research by MIT and the Santa Fe Institute could put paid to range anxiety for many potential EV users

The research, undertaken by MIT and the Santa Fe Institute and published in shed in Nature Energy Monday, saw scientists evaluate the energy requirements of millions of personal vehicle trips across U.S. cities to determine whether motorists could perform their daily driving using battery electric vehicles, without having to recharge.

They found that 87% of vehicles on the road could be replaced by electric vehicles; a move that would also reduce petrol consumption by 60% and emissions by about 30% with the current electricity supply mix.

However, the research also found that even with substantial battery improvements, other kinds of car engines will be needed to cover those days with the highest energy consumption, possibly through the use of car sharing schemes.