Easy EV – Busting the most common myths we are always asked about.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) advises that electric car sales grew massively last year, with the market up 185.9%. So, it’s not surprising that we are always inundated with questions on the topic… in this article we uncover the most common EV myths we are asked about.

All you’re doing is moving harmful emissions from car tailpipes to power stations. EVs aren’t environmentally friendly because electricity comes from coal.

20 years ago, maybe, but since 2017 the generation companies have been cleaner every year. 2019 saw record levels of solar and wind generation, and in May 2019 we went 437 hours without burning any coal, the longest period ever seen!

If you want to go one step further, the easiest way to ensure your fuel is green is to install your own Solar PV.

EVs are only good for ideal climates. 

Nope that’s wrong. Norway, Iceland and Sweden lead Europe with EV adoption. Norway led the world in 2020 with 74.7% of new vehicles sold being plug-in, Iceland came 2nd with 45%, and Sweden 3rd with 32%. These three countries are far from ideal climates and have famously cold winters!

EVs don’t have enough range. You can’t travel very far before running out of electricity. 

Ranges on EVs vary depending on budget and battery size, you can purchase vehicles with ranges from 100 miles to ranges in excess of 400 miles. Like the internal combustion engine improved over years of manufacturing, EV motors will become more efficient, and the battery technology will improve.

To put this into perspective, my dad’s 1963 Rover 110 (P4) would average 18mpg – zoom to the year 2000 and my old Audi A3 would average around 38mpg. Technology moves forward quicker with scale. It’s also worth mentioning that over 70% of UK drivers drive less than 25 miles a day.

EVs are slow. 

They are anything but! In fact, Tesla’s upcoming roadster will have a top speed in excess of 200mph and a 0-60 in under 1.9 seconds, whilst the non-electric Bugatti can only do a 0-60 time of 2.3 seconds.

It doesn’t have to be supercar money though. Even Tesla’s model 3 performance will hit 60mph in 3.1 seconds – that’s 6/10ths of a second quicker than a 2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera!

EVs are too expensive. 

Price parity with non-electric models should be with us by 2022/23, but even though EVs are currently more expensive, they are still 2/3rds cheaper to run and maintain.

EV batteries don’t last long and will eventually wind up in landfill. 

The majority of electric vehicles have an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on the batteries. Most manufacturers predict their batteries will last 10-20 years before replacement.

However, it doesn’t end there. Because of the size of EV batteries they can be easily repurposed as energy storage devices and once their full working life is complete, they can be dismantled and recycled for individual components.

The UK energy grid can’t cope with a huge increase in the number of electric vehicles being plugged in for charging. 

There is sufficient capacity with the grid to cope with the forecasted rise in electric vehicles – our grid hit a peak in 2002 of 62GW. Since then, the demand has fallen by roughly 16%. This is due to improved efficiency with products such as LED lighting and energy efficient appliances, but also with increased micro-generation with products such as solar PV. The other factor to consider with this is time. Not everyone will be plugged in and charging at the same time, and many energy providers offer cheaper energy rates between midnight and 4am to encourage EV drivers to schedule their charging sessions for the early hours.

EV cars… there’s hardly any choice.

In 2011 there were 9 EV models available. As of August 2021, there are over 200 EV models available… say no more.

There aren’t enough public charging stations in Britain.

In 2016, we had just over 5,000 public charging points. As of August 2021, we have just over 25,000 public charge points. If you run a business with a car park open to the public, you could be able to offer charging as a service for your customers. Visit our destination charging page to find out more.

There isn’t enough lithium in the world to make all the new batteries.

If we stopped mining tomorrow and ceased recycling on lithium, the existing stores lithium stores would be sufficient for the projected EV production for the next 75 years. Also, lithium is mineable in many areas, so the industry is not dependent on region – 24% of our current resource can be found in the United States.

My electricity bill will be huge if I get an EV. 

Having an EV will increase your electricity bill – but not as bad as you’d think. For example, in the Mini One 1.5 Petrol, you’d be spending about £3.29 on a 23-mile trip (the average commuting distance). In the EV equivalent Mini Electric you’d be spending 93p per 23-mile trip. So, whilst your electricity bill will increase, you will be spending around a third of the cost you would on petrol.

I’m unable to install an EV charger at my home. 

We appreciate that around 40% of the UK population live in flats or terraced houses, but all is not lost. Workplace charging is becoming more and more common, with some companies offering free electricity generated by their solar panels. The public infrastructure is also improving daily, councils and tech companies are also looking into technology that could work with our current street furniture (such as lampposts, bollards and signposts).