“Range anxiety” is a stumbling block preventing an even faster rise of the electric car. Consumers are afraid that they may get stuck with an empty battery. However, new research shows that this concern is overblown. Researchers have found that electric cars could replace 87 percent of the personal vehicles on the road and still get us where we need to go (and back again). And with battery technology fast improving that percentage can rise to 98 within the next five years.