EVs have blown up in popularity over the past few years, and there doesn't seem to be any signs of slowing down, partly due to the UK Government's ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. Technology for EVs has been rapidly evolving, making them safer, cheaper, more accessible, and with more charging infrastructure to boot.
Whether you love EVs, or you think they're a step back for the automotive industry, there's no denying they're here to stay. With the division surrounding EVs, there's so much information (and misinformation) running around that it can be difficult to know what to trust.
Today, we're gonna go over some of the most common myths surrounding EVs, and set the record straight.
5 Common EV Myths - Busted
Myth 1 - EVs Aren't Really Green
You've probably heard something along the lines of "EVs aren't good for the environment, making the batteries produces lots of pollution".
Now, this statement isn't wrong at all, but it's not the full picture. BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) do produce more pollution during the manufacturing process compared to ICEs (Internal Combustion Engines), largely due to the process of creating the batteries. The difference is usually around 10-20%, although this differs vastly by the vehicles you're comparing.
However, the key point is that EVs do not continue to emit pollution after manufacturing, whilst ICEs do. Over their lifetime, EVs are far better for the environment. On average, most EVs offset the pollution from production after driving around 10,000 to 25,000 miles, even if they're being fuelled by coal-powered electricity. Meaning that an ICE vehicle will be producing more pollution from this point on compared to an EV.
Myth 2 - Batteries Can't Be Recycled
This is another common one, "What happens to the batteries once they die? They can't be recycled!"
This one just isn't true, EV batteries can in fact be recycled. They require a specialised process such as hydrometallurgy or pyrometallurgy, which are very complex methods of recycling. These processes extract materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium, allowing for them to be reused for other batteries.
Not all of the batteries will be recycled into new EV batteries, many of them are given second lives through other means and are used for other energy storage solutions. The technology isn't perfect, but we can currently recycle around 95% of the raw materials.
This technology is evolving very quickly, and it's not outlandish to expect the efficiency to increase as time goes on. Either way, it solidifies the fact that EV batteries can be recycled, they're not just discarded as e-waste.
Myth 3 - EVs Are Much Slower
This one couldn't be further from the truth.
EVs are usually faster than their petrol/diesel counterparts. Why is this? Well, petrol and diesel cars need to reach a certain engine speed before they can deliver their peak torque. Electric motors, on the other hand, can deliver the maximum amount of torque instantly.
EVs also benefit by only having one gear. Petrol and diesel vehicles have multiple gears, usually 5 or 6 for manual transmissions (or more for automatics). Switching gears takes time, and while the gears are being switched, the engine cannot deliver power to the wheels, which is another reason EVs usually have a very good 0-60mph.
This isn't just a fact for acceleration either, but also for top speed. The world's fastest production car, the Yangwang U9 Xtreme, is an electric car.
Now, does this mean that all electric vehicles are faster than all ICE cars? Of course not, an MG4, as nippy as it is, isn't going to beat a Porsche 911 just because it's an EV (Although the MG4 XPOWER certainly does keep up and outpace certain 911 models). This is more so an example that EVs can be very powerful, and aren't as slow as they once were.
Myth 4 - The Range Is Too Low
Okay, so 'Too low' is a subjective term, for a select few this might be true, but for most people, it's false.
The vast majority of EVs have more than enough for daily driving for most people using them. Whilst EVs do have less range than ICE vehicles, the range they do offer gives you plenty to go about your day, and even make long journeys.
Most EVs offer anywhere from 200 to 400 (with some offering more than 500) miles of range. This gives you more than enough charge to get to and from work, pick up the kids, go out to the shops, and anything else you need to do day-to-day. If you're plugging in to a home EV charger at the end of the day, that also means you worry less about your range, and having to fit in a 'fuel run' into your journey.
Now, if you're somebody that loves to drive from Edinburgh to Bournemouth every other day, then perhaps you can rightfully say that the range of EVs is too low, but for most people, there is plenty of range to suit their needs.
Myth 5 - They Cause Blackouts
So yes, EVs do increase electricity demand, but the vast majority of charging happens at night, when grid usage is already low.
This is exactly the reason why electricity is cheaper at night, as there are less people using it. Even still, there are smart charging systems in place to help support the grid and balance demand. Many home EV chargers have smart scheduling, which will choose when to charge your vehicle, allowing you to still take advantage of cheaper rates, without putting pressure on the power grid.
Many EVs can also support the grid through a technology called Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G). This is where stored energy in EV batteries can then be fed back to the power grid during peak times. This also often makes your energy bill even cheaper.
So while EVs can use a lot of electric, they don't inherently cause blackouts. As adoption of EVs increases, investment into upgrading the power grid will certainly be needed, but this is a long term process, and isn't something that you should be concerned about.
Myths - Busted
There is so much information about EVs, and it can be difficult to know what to trust, and what is just scaremongering or ignorance. EVs have developed rapidly over the last 10 years, and they will continue to do so.
As it stands today, EVs are an excellent way to travel, the price per mile is ridiculously low, especially when paired with an EV tariff (I used to pay around £30 a month for fuel in my EV, compared to the £200 I spend now on my ICE), they offer nippy and responsive driving, and they're much better for the environment.
If I've convinced you to take a second look at EVs, we've got plenty on offer to suit a range of needs, take a look at what we've got here.