Dispelling the common myths around electric vehicles
There’s a lot of noise in the media about EVs, and not all of it is entirely accurate. With so much conflicting information about EVs now in circulation, it is no surprise that many consumers are confused about the realities of EV ownership and don’t have the confidence to make the switch. So to help bring clarity to the confusion, we’ve created a collection of user-friendly, simplified key facts to clear up the misinformation around points such as eco-credentials, fire risks, range and charging provision. You’ll find seven common myths below all with a reality checked up backed up by third-party sources.
Myth: EVs are too expensive
Reality: 1 in 3 second-hand EVs are under £20,000.
New EVs tend to still be about a third more expensive than ICE but discounts narrow the gap
The cheapest electric cars on Auto Trader are under £2,000
In 2023, one in ten used electric car sales were under £15,000.
People talk about the price of electric cars but really there are big differences in the electric market like there would be in the petrol market. Many consumers considering going electric could look at 5-year-old electric cars which, due to recent price drops, now represent very good value for consumers, particularly when running costs are factored in.
As with any car, the cheapest models available are often the oldest. The most affordable are likely to be cars such as the Nissan Leaf or the Renault Zoe. Despite lower ranges than more recent offerings, these would be perfect run-around cars for many households who just do short local trips.
Sources
Auto Trader internal Retail Pricing Index data
Myth: EVs aren’t cheaper to run
Reality: Owners can save up to £840 a year vs petrol if they mostly charge at home
These savings depend on if a consumer has access to off-street parking at home. Home charging is cheaper than on the public network as owners can enjoy off-peak tariffs and lower VAT charges. VAT at home is 5% but 20% on the public network. We are advocating public network charging VAT to be aligned to the rates enjoyed by home chargers.
Most people will charge the majority at home with a few on-the-go top-ups for those longer journeys. Retailers therefore should advise potential buyers to charge overnight and start their day with a charged car to enjoy maximum savings.
Sources
Myth: There aren’t enough chargers on the roads to charge on the go
Reality: There are 12,500 rapid chargers that can charge a car to 80% in just 20-40 minutes.
Plus, around 65,000 public charge points in total across the UK with thousands more coming every year.
Did you know there’s one charger per 4 miles of road in the UK?
It’s important to understand there are a few different types of chargers – they charge at different speeds and can be found in different types of locations.
We can group them together so you have Slow/Fast chargers which are lower powered, cheaper and can be found normally on the side of roads, in supermarket car parks or business estates.
Then you have the Rapid/Ultra rapid chargers, which are higher powered, quicker and significantly more expensive – they can get you back to 80% in 20-40 minutes. You’ll find these at motorway service stations and dedicated motorway EV charging hubs.
The charging industry are investing £6 million in building the infrastructure so when we say there’s plenty more coming, you can be sure there are a lot of people working to make that happen.
Sources
Zapmap [data to end June 2024]
Myth: The battery power won’t last
Reality: Data suggests you should expect same wear and tear as ICE cars.
Getting EVs repaired is getting easier with an increasing number of skilled technicians available
The simple truth is that all cars gradually degrade over time – that’s a key reason why, most of the time, cars depreciate in value. So, while it’s right that people should be concerned about how their EV – and its battery – will fare in the long term, the reality is the degradation you can expect is no different to how a petrol or diesel car might change over time. However, there are plenty of examples of batteries retaining their capacity at well above 80% after hundreds of thousands of miles and years of use.
As we get more data on electric vehicles and how they perform after years of use and high mileage we’re seeing that they are doing really well and there’s no reason for drivers to worry about how their electric car will meet their needs after years of ownership.
In fact, as electric vehicles have fewer moving parts they are less likely to need maintenance and repairs.
Sources
Battery loss source: At seven years old, the average Tesla battery still provides approximately 93% of its original capacity and range, according to a recent study. https://www.nimblefins.co.uk/study-real-life-tesla-battery-deterioration
Battery loss second source: The Technical University of Munich have released figures showing that after approximately ten years’ use, the battery in the Volkswagen ID3 was still at about 90%. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590116822000133?via%3Dihub#fig1
More technicians source: https://tide.theimi.org.uk/industry-latest/news/further-growth-ev-qualified-automotive-aftermarket-workforce
Myth: EVs don’t have the range people need
Reality: Most modern EVs have enough charge for more than 2 weeks driving for most people. The average range of a new EV is 236 miles.
On average, Brits drive 127 miles a week with the most common uses being grocery shopping (11 miles), visiting friends and family (22 miles) and shopping for other goods (7 miles). A single charge typically lasts up to 250 miles meaning the average household in the UK would need to charge their electric vehicle less than once a week, this is despite around two-fifths (41%) of drivers believing they would have to charge their cars every three days.
In fact, based on the average driver and the average journey distance, one single electric vehicle charge will provide all of the below:
• Three visits to the supermarket
• Ten school runs
• Six commutes
• Three visits to friends and family
• Five general shopping trips
• One trip to a restaurant, pub or bar
Additionally, this data shows that a single charge would be enough to cover a one-way journey between London and most other major English cities including Liverpool (212 miles), York (211 miles), Manchester (200 miles), Exeter (195 miles) and Cardiff (149 miles).
Sources
236 miles source: SMMT
“More than 2 weeks driving for most people” source: https://plc.autotrader.co.uk/news-views/press-releases/a-new-fully-charged-electric-vehicle-will-provide-brits-with-nearly-two-full-weeks-of-typical-driving/
Myth: EVs aren’t actually that green
Reality: Typically an EV emits just 1/3 of the harmful pollutants of a petrol car during its lifetime
Over its lifetime, a typical EV emits around two thirds less greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent petrol car, even accounting for battery production and disposal. EVs are also getting progressively cleaner as UK electricity generation decarbonises, through the increasing use of renewable energy.
Further research from the Carbon brief shows that buying a new electric car to replace an older car would benefit the climate after driving 20,000 – 32,000 miles.
Whilst not everyone can afford to buy an electric car just yet, we are encouraging consumers to think about more environmentally friendly vehicle choices. Some consumers may not be in position to buy an EV right now, but getting them into a newer, cleaner petrol car or maybe even a hybrid might be something you can steer consumers towards.
Sources
Transport and environment Batteries vs oil comparison
Carbon brief fact check 21 misleading myths about electric vehicles
Myth: EVs frequently catch fire
Reality: EVs are much less likely to catch fire than ICE cars
There have been many news reports of electric car fires but the data shows that electric cars are much less likely to catch fire. The proof points here come from sources such as the UK government and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency.
The little book of EV myths notes that:
“The fire service estimate there are around 100,000 vehicle fires every year in the UK and records for 2022 to 2023 show only 239 EV fires – or 0.24%. The Swedish Contingencies Agency reported that ‘Petrol and diesel cars are 20 times more likely to catch fire than EVs’. In 2022 611,000 vehicle fires were recorded in Sweden of which 23 were EV fires – or 0.004%.
“In America, data from the National Transportation Safety Board reported that battery-powered vehicles suffer 25 fires for every 100,000 sold, compared to 1,530 fires for petrol vehicles. In 2023 US insurer, AutoinsuranceEZ, released a report ‘Gas vs Electric Car Fires (2023 Findings)’ noting that “based on this data electric cars don’t catch fire nearly as much as the news claims.” However it is important to understand that putting out an EV battery fire does take much longer than an ICE vehicle fire.
Sources
Do electric cars pose a greater fire risk than petrol or diesel vehicles? The Guardian