The definitive goodbye to all false myths about electric cars

Whether they have a limited autonomy, whether there are not enough charging points, whether they are too expensive, whether they are not as powerful... Did you know that all these claims are far from being true?

Yes, we know that mistrust and reticence from society and costumers is generated by the lack of information and partly also by the newness of this technology, but it seems unbelievable that today there are still so many unfounded myths surrounding the electric vehicle! We want to dispel them completely!

1. The myth that there are not enough charging points

Isn't there a gas station on every town or corner and nobody is panicking? Yes, there are plenty of them, but the great advantage of charging points over conventional petrol stations is that they can be installed wherever there is access to electricity: hotels, shopping centers, large companies, public roads, car parks, restaurants…

And the best part is that they can even be used in places where there is no such access or charging infrastructure, thanks to portable fast-charging stations such as those developed by Volkswagen.

Tesla already has over 15,000 Superchargers deployed around the world. There are 100,000 charging points in Europe and IONITY's ultra-fast charging network (350 kW) already has over 230 charging stations across Europe with an average of six charging points per station and a forecast of 400 stations in total by the end of 2020.

It is true that charging points network is not as extensive as we would like it to be, but we must not forget that one of the great benefits of electric cars is that we can charge it at home during the night or at work during the day, which allows us to have the highest autonomy practically day by day. So, don't you think that public charging points are a little bit overrated?

Besides, did you know that soon the law will force gas stations to install charging points, as well as new buildings?

2. The myth that charging periods are too large

It is the only one of the 10 electric car myths that is partly right.

Regarding domestic charges, the charging period is not a problem as the EV is usually charged during the night; the cheapest period according to the night rate (an off-peak tariff). If this is your case, congratulations! The time you will "waste" by charging your vehicle will be the few seconds it will take you to connect the plug when you arrive home and to disconnect it when you leave home.

However, the problem arises when we go on a trip and need to "refuel" halfway, for example. It is possible that we find a conventional or semi-fast charging point that requires more than one hour to charge our car in order to continue our journey.

However, thanks to charging networks such as those of IONITY and thanks to the powerful batteries of the new electric cars appearing on the market, this problem is beginning to disappear.

Moreover, according to the European average and to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the vast majority of journeys made on a daily basis do not require more than 40 miles. This autonomy can be recovered in only 4 hours with a conventional plug (and in minutes if it is a semi-fast or fast charging point), without the need to always have the vehicle charged up to 100%.

3. The myth that electric cars have a reduced range and autonomy

Granted, a few years ago this was one of the electric vehicle myths that was a temple truth, but it is no longer a reality!

The vast majority of current models range from 180 to 310 miles and some even exceed 380 miles (EPA est.), such as some Tesla long range models.

And the matter of range anxiety will disappear completely in no more than five years. Keep on reading... in myth nº10 you will find out why ;)

4. The myth that electric cars are not as safer as combustion cars

One of the great electric car myths that, quite paradoxically, turns out to be just the opposite. It has been demonstrated that electric cars are (much) safer than their diesel or gasoline equivalents.

• Without electrocuting danger

EVs are perfectly insulated and waterproofed as their respective batteries are protected by shielded boxes and, in case of impact, the system immediately disconnects the electrical current. 

Did you know that in the tsunami and earthquake that occurred in Japan in March 2011 more than 20 Nissan LEAF were affected (covered with water, beaten, overturned ...), but in all cases its components remained isolated and did not cause any accidents?

• Safer in crash cases

Crash-tests passed by electric vehicles have obtained the highest scores ever recorded.

And that's because one of the benefits of electric cars is that it doesn't have a huge internal combustion engine and that makes it easier to design more spaces designed to better absorb the energy released in a crash.

Moreover, fire risk is four times higher in a gasoline or diesel than in an electric one.

• Safer driving

And finally, electric vehicles have a lower gravity center thanks to the fact that the batteries are located at the bottom of the car, providing them with greater stability.

So, no, there is no danger in driving in adverse weather conditions (such as rain or thunderstorms), nor in charging the electric vehicle and, of course, there is no risk whatsoever in cleaning an electric vehicle in a car wash. It may seem silly, but these worries do exist!

And, in case you have any doubts, most of the major car insurance companies have already created specific coverage for electric vehicles, so this should not be a concern either.

5. The myth that an electric car is not as powerful as a gasoline car

This is another of the great false electric car myths, because precisely, like the previous myth, it turns out to be just the opposite!

Apart from reaching speeds like any gasoline or diesel, one of the main characteristics of electric vehicles is that they deliver 100% of their torque from 0 revolutions, so they accelerate much more than their respective combustion engines.

By the time you've finished engaging the gear, revving the engine and releasing the clutch in a combustion car, the electric one is already two bodies ahead. Quite simple!

The electric Hyundai KONA can accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 7.6 seconds; the BMW i3s in 6.9s; the Tesla Model 3 in 3.2s and the Model S in just 2.3 seconds.

You will still enjoy driving, but even more so and in a sustainable way!

6. The myth that electric vehicles are too expensive

While it is true that, for the moment, the initial price of an electric car is still higher than its combustion equivalent, let us not forget that we are talking about a difference that is compensated in a short time:

• Much cheaper maintenance

Electric cars do not have oil nor filters to change, so their maintenance is much cheaper. As they don't have an engine with thousands of pieces that go through mechanical wears, they have far fewer breakdowns and fewer repairs. So there's no need to change brake pads and discs with regenerative braking system!

The fact that the mechanical structure is much simpler means that revisions and maintenance of the vehicle can be reduced by 50% compared to a combustion one. Without any doubt, one of the main benefits of electric cars!

• Cheaper cost per kilometer

Driving 60mi with an electric car costs from 0.5€ to 1€ with a night rate compared to 5.50€ in diesel and 8€ in petrol. A very significant saving, right?

• Financial assistance

On the one hand, many cities offer free parking places for electric vehicles to encourage their use, as well as free or very low-priced charges.

On the other hand, in many countries there are subsidies for the electric vehicle purchase (such as Spain's MOVES plan) and discounts on vehicle registration tax (in Spain, for example, it is a tax from which EVs are exempt), as well as reductions in other taxes such as that on Mechanical Traction Vehicles of up to 75%.

And to all this we add that in a couple of years the prices of electric cars will start to equal those of combustion. Without going any further, Dacia has already announced that it will launch its first electric SUV in Europe for a price of around 15,000€ which, taking into account subsidies and bonuses (such as MOVES), we could acquire it for less than 10,00€.

Goodbye to another of the electric vehicle myths!

7. The myth that will come the day when electricity grids will collapse

More and more myths about electric cars... Although some people strongly claim that the electric grid will not support the demand, the reality is that electric vehicles only consume 0.5% of the electricity production. The main electricity distributors have already carried out many studies that show that the current network is ready to be adapted to the electric vehicle fleet planned for the upcoming years.

In fact, to avoid any peak in electricity demand, the Smart Charging functionality is currently being developed: intelligent charges that correctly manage the information and data between vehicles and charging points themselves to optimize energy consumption and thus avoid demand peaks, depending on multiple aspects such as available power, the number of vehicles being charged at the same time, charging priorities, schedules, etc.

And let’s not forget that thanks to portable charging stations like those from Volkswagen, it would be possible to charge in areas with difficult or no access to the electricity grid!

8. The myth that EV is dangerous for pedestrians because it is too noiseless

A few years ago, this topic was not a myth, it was a reality, since the EV was (and is, in fact) characterized by being completely silent, which is another of the main benefits of electric cars.

However, the law already establishes regulations in this regard, and has determined that all electric vehicles must incorporate the AVAS, the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System, also called PWS (Pedestrian Warning System).

This system activates a sound from the moment the vehicle is started up to 20 km/h in Europe and in the USA up to 18mph and also when the vehicle is going back. If you want to know how the AVAS sounds, we encourage you to discover the following article!

AVAS does not only affect electric cars, it also applies to hybrids, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell cars. Thus, green vehicles will not only continue to be more silent and reduce noise pollution in cities, but will also help to increase road safety.

9. The myth that the CO2 savings are not such a big deal

It seems incredible that there are such myths about electric cars, right? Certainly, they exist, even if your head explodes when you hear them. We simply try to count to 100 (or 1,000, sometimes) and refute these arguments with proven facts.

According to the Well to Wheel analysis method (which takes into account the CO2 emitted when manufacturing an electric car and generating the electricity that moves it), the manufacture of an electric car has 15% more CO2 emissions associated with it than a combustion car (basically due to the battery production), although this difference is compensated after driving only 12,400mi.

For this reason, more and more brands are making efforts to promote the sustainability of their production processes in order to achieve totally neutral vehicles.

According to a recent study by Transport & Environment, in the worst-case scenario an electric car emits 22% less CO2 than a diesel and 28% less than a petrol. This case is taking into account electricity that comes from fossil fuel burning, both in the battery manufacture and the energy used during its use. And, even so, we save tons of CO2!

But in the best-case scenario we save 80% of CO2! And that's without forgetting that an electric car generates neither fine particles nor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) like those emitted by diesel ones, which are seriously harmful to our health.

And as energy comes entirely from renewable sources, this percentage will increase to more than 90% of CO2 savings.

10. The myth of battery recycling

This is the only point that we do admit generates a little more controversy, but we can also argue against it!

It is true that the current recycling process for lithium-ion batteries is somewhat complex and not all of its components can be recycled, but companies like Northvolt are working to build batteries with a minimal carbon footprint and the highest possibilities for recycling through programs like Revolt.

However, the good thing about these batteries is that they generate a large value chain, since once their useful life is over, they still maintain approximately 70% of their original capacity. That means we can give them a second life and use them for domestic energy storage or to store solar or wind energy, for example, and extend their life for many more years.

Clear examples would be the initiative carried out by Endesa group, which uses more than 90 recycled batteries in its thermal plant in Melilla, or Nissan's xStorage solution, which allows a second domestic life for its electric vehicles batteries.

In addition, some assert that in a few years’ time, lithium will have been exhausted to make batteries. Not at all! Another of the many electric vehicle myths. It's estimated that there's still enough lithium to make 10 billion electric vehicles. The industry has also put all its efforts into the process of recycling these batteries, which require less and less lithium, and in the near future it will be possible to recycle more than 95% of its materials.

But the good news is that new solid-state batteries will soon be on the market, allowing greater autonomy, greater security, faster charging periods, longer lifespan, reduced costs and greater possibilities for recycling. With no doubt, the future of electric mobility!

Will they mean the definitive goodbye to all myths about electric cars?