Top 3 Misconceptions Regarding Electric Vehicles

In the last few years, electric vehicles have become more and more popular, and thus so have the misconceptions surrounding them. In an age where our beliefs are shaped by headlines and word of mouth rather than hard evidence, it is no wonder that some may still experience doubt and hesitancy when making the switch to EV.

We want to give you the facts behind some common EV misconceptions so whether you're ready to make the switch or not, you have the correct information.

1 - Electric vehicles are too expensive

While it is true that the upfront cost of electric vehicles is higher than that of its fuel counterparts, it's important to take into account the total financial cost of a car over its lifetime. Even though most people purchase a vehicle for the long term, often, their financial considerations are only focused on the short term. It is not long before the running costs of someone’s ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicle (i.e., fuel, maintenance, tax) actually outweigh that of an EV, especially in a time where fuel prices seem to be on a constant incline.

Electric vehicles typically have a far lower operating cost than ICE cars. What may initially seem like a high upfront payment soon becomes far smaller when thousands can be saved over its lifetime by avoiding rising fuel prices and less frequent visits to the repair shop. Beyond this, they have many incentives, tax credits and rebates in place for EVs, which further minimise the impact of the higher upfront cost. It is also important to recognise that as technology advances, the prices of EVs will only get smaller, while their operating costs will shrink to make them an increasingly attractive option.

2 – They have a short range and people are left stranded on an empty battery

The first way to untie this misconception is by addressing that a vehicle’s range is dependent on many factors such as the weather, the cargo, and the driver’s habits, just the same as their non EV counterparts. When considering electric vehicles, more recent models, like the MG4, have a range of over 200 miles on a single charge which is more than sufficient for most people's daily needs. They also come with software & navigation that will allow you to plan your routes to consider your vehicle’s range and nearby charging stations.

For those in remote areas who may still have concerns about the availability of nearby charging stations, providers such as ZapMap can put those concerns to rest by illustrating the abundance of charging points across the UK. Additionally, thousands [BB2] of charging stations are built every year and the advances in modern technology will see charge times further reduced.

3 – They lack the performance and safety guarantees of conventional cars

While the performance of an electric vehicle is dependent on the size and efficiency of its battery, as well as the aerodynamics of the vehicle, there are a few general features that allow them to be just as fast and powerful as conventional vehicle, if not more so. Firstly, electric motors have the often-overlooked feature of producing high levels of torque at lower speeds, allowing them to have excellent acceleration from zero. Additionally, electric vehicles can exceed their counterparts in terms of raw power, with some being able to tow loads of up to 1,600kg or more.

As for safety, EVs have an abundance of modern features that are specifically designed for the safety of the driver, including blind spot collision warning, lane-keep assist, parking assistance, and much more. Some concerns are still in circulation regarding the safety of the electric battery; however, EV manufacturers must adhere to strict safety standards when designing and manufacturing these batteries which even mitigate the worst-case scenarios.

Since EVs have fewer rotating machinery and their at-risk components are more protected than their ICE counterparts, there is a far smaller chance of failure. Even though there is only short-term data to analyse EVs, a data study by Auto Insurance EZ[BB1] found that electric vehicles catch fire far less often than conventional cars which further supports their safety claims.

Conclusion

Whilst this may not have you ready to pop to your local dealership to grab yourself an EV today, we hope that it's cleared up these misconceptions and given you a more balanced insight into the reality of owning one.
And if this has sparked your interest, we have an amazing team here at Eden who will be happy to answer any further questions you might have, so feel free to visit us or use the form below to get in touch. Happy motoring!

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[BB1]https://www.autoinsuranceez.com/gas-vs-electric-car-fires/

[BB1]https://www.zap-map.com/live/

[BB2]https://www.zap-map.com/statistics/

[BB1]https://uk.mer.eco/news/a-2021-guide-to-government-incentives-grants-for-evs/