Electric Car Myths and Misconceptions

Common Electric Car Myths and Misconceptions

Despite an increasing amount of recent media coverage, there is still a great deal of consumer ignorance, and some recurring Myths and Misconceptions surrounding Electric Cars.

The following are the common misconception we hear and have to address all the time:

  • They are only suitable for short-distance driving – NOT TRUE
  • They take a long time to charge – ALMOST ALL CAN BE RAPID CHARGED IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR
  • They are slow and have poor performance – THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE
  • They are expensive to buy – GOOD CARS START FROM AROUND £6K
  • They are unreliable and need regular battery replacement – THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE
  • Cost savings are not that significant – 1/8TH THE RUNNING COST OF A TYPICAL CAR
  • Electricity is no greener than Petrol – ELECTRICITY CAN BE 100% RENEWABLE

We think Electric cars are great, and not just from a Green driving point of view, but also from a cost-saving and driving experience point of view as well, and hope our explanations below help to clear up some of these common misconceptions.

They are only suitable for short distance driving?

Even in older used EV’s, most have over at least an 80-mile range from a single charge. So if your daily commute is less than this, they are ideal and mean you never need to stop to re-fuel ever again.

Most are also capable of a full Rapid charge in under 30 minutes, meaning with short pre-planned motorway service stops, their range is unlimited for the occasional longer journey. Many 2-year-old EVs now have around 140 miles + of real-world range.

They are slow and have poor performance?

The opposite is true, as they offer much faster acceleration than their petrol counterparts and a smoother more enjoyable responsive drive. Acceleration is effortless and immediate, as well as being silent, achieving a far superior drive.

Pictured left is the BMW i3, click the button below to find out more.

They are expensive to buy?

It is possible to buy very high quality and practical used electric car under 5 years old for under £10k. As electric cars have now been around since 2011 there is now lots more choice at the lower-priced end of the market.

For example, a 2015 Renault Zoe with under 20k miles on the clock would have a forecourt price of around £6k, and a 2014 Nissan Leaf with under 50k miles would be on the forecourt for under £7k.

They are unreliable and the batteries will need replacement?

They are far more reliable than a combustion engine car as they only have a few moving parts, rather than several hundred, with almost non-existent repair costs and minimal servicing requirements.

Current predictions are that the batteries used will have a 300,000+ mile lifespan, at least.

Running cost savings are not that significant?

At a cost of 2-3p per mile, they have about 1/10th of the running costs of an economical diesel car. Even the most economical of hybrid cars have a fuel cost of around 11p per mile.

There are also significant savings due to greater reliability and minimal servicing requirements.

It's no greener to run a car on electricity than it is to burn fuel?

A typical combustion engine is about 20% efficient in its conversion of petrol/diesel to momentum, compared to 80% for an electric motor. Much less energy is wasted than in combustion, where much of the energy is lost as heat.

Also, electricity can be 100% renewable and provided from solar or wind production (if your electricity is provided by a green energy supplier or from your own solar panels.) This makes the running of your car completely green and emissions-free.

If you would like to visit to test drive some EVs for yourself, or if you would simply like to find out more about modern EV driving, please do get in touch.

Post Author

January 19, 2022

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