Electric cars have grown hugely in popularity over recent years, with more than 900,000 electric vehicles registered in the UK by the end of September 2023.
However, there’s still a fair bit of confusion around EVs. We’ve spotlighted the best electric cars to buy in 2023 elsewhere, but if you’re still not convinced that electric is the way to go, this article might just help you see things differently.
Keep reading to see 10 of the biggest myths around electric cars busted…
1. EVs Still Produce a Large Amount of Emissions
EVs are a significantly greener transportation option when compared to traditional fuel-powered vehicles. While petrol cars emit harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions.
Their environmental impact depends on the source of electricity used for charging, but even when powered by a mix of conventional and renewable energy sources, EVs tend to generate fewer emissions on a per-mile basis. As a result, the carbon footprint of EVs is significantly lower, making them a cleaner and more sustainable choice for reducing air pollution.
2. Electric Vehicles Don’t Have Enough Range for Your Day-to-Day Life
The vast majority of EVs boast a total range of well over 100 miles, with some models now offering over 300 before the batteries go flat. This means you can put your range anxiety in the boot and enjoy hours upon hours of driving without needing a pit stop.
What about tomorrow though? Think of an EV like you would a smartphone – plug it in before you go to bed, and those batteries will be full up by the morning, ready for another day of driving!
3. Electric Cars Are Slow
If you think electric cars are slow, it’s likely you haven’t driven one! Unlike petrol and diesel engines which will only reach maximum power at a certain number of revs, an electric car’s full power is usually available immediately. Put the pedal to the metal and you’ll get everything the batteries have to give (responsibly and within the speed limit we haste to add)!
To give you an example, the Kia EV6 GT promises outstanding performance – quicker than many sports cars. Go from 0-60mph in a mere 3.5 seconds.
4. There Aren’t Many Models to Choose From
The majority of manufacturers now offer at least one electric or hybrid vehicle, and in fact, many are now offering hybrid or electric versions of their most-loved vehicles.
Kia, for example, has multiple electric or hybrid versions available, with the models we offer at JCT600 being:
- Kia Niro EV
- Kia Niro HEV/PHEV
- Kia EV6
- Kia Soul EV
- Kia Sportage
- Kia Sorento PHEV
- Kia XCeed PHEV
- Kia EV9 (coming soon)
There’s all different shapes and sizes, so you have plenty of choice.
5. The Charging Infrastructure Isn’t Good Enough
Charging at home is one thing, but what about when you want to go on a long journey? You will need to charge at a public charge point, but just how often will you come across one?
Just like all new things, driving an electric vehicle will require some minor adjustments in the way you approach a long journey. Using a website like ZapMap – and the fantastic route planner on their app – you can chart your path from point to point while also factoring in stop-offs to charge your vehicle.
Take one look at the ZapMap site, and you’ll see just how many charge points there are across the country. According to their stats, there are 49,882 charging points in 29,709 locations, and hundreds of new ones are installed each month.
6. Electric Vehicles Take too Long to Charge
Just like charging any other battery, the length of time it takes to reach full capacity depends on the rating of the charger itself.
Different charge points or charging methods will have different charging speeds. What you need to look for is the kilowatt number on the charging point. Basically, the higher the number, the faster it will charge the battery.
Rapid chargers are rated at 43kW or more, which can charge the majority of EVs up to 80% in less than an hour.
At the bottom of the scale are slow chargers, which are rated for up to 3kW. These are best for overnight charging since fully charging via this method can take up to 12 hours.
7. EVs and Plug-ins are too Expensive to Buy
Regardless of your budget, there are plenty of options available at a range of price points. Of course, there are other costs of buying an electric vehicle but the overall expense can even out over time.
The smart EQ ForFour, for example, is available for under £11k. For that, you get a funky personality and a range of about sixty miles from the 96 on-board Lithium-Ion battery cells.
At the top end of the market, there’s the Audi Q8 E-Tron – a heavenly marriage between design and technology that has seen the model win awards from all walks of industry. You can pick up the all-electric Audi for around £70k.
8. Electric Cars Breakdown More Regularly
Electric vehicles have significantly fewer moving parts compared to traditional petrol or diesel cars, resulting in reduced maintenance requirements. While internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles have complex systems with hundreds of moving parts, EVs primarily consist of an electric motor, a single-speed transmission, and a battery pack. This simplicity leads to fewer points of potential failure and less need for routine maintenance.
With no oil changes, fewer mechanical components, and regenerative braking that extends brake life, EV owners can enjoy both lower maintenance costs and a more reliable driving experience.
9. Using the Radio and AC in Your Car Will Drain the Battery
Technically, yes but the amount of power it uses will be negligible when compared with other features in your car. If you want to enjoy a few tunes on your road trip you likely won’t notice the impact but if you need to fire up the air-con, you may notice a more considerable effect.
All features of a car draw power and electric vehicles are no different. Turn the AC off and you’ll see power consumption drop and range increase.
10. Your Electric Bill Will Skyrocket if You Charge at Home
It’s true that your monthly electricity bill will rise if you start charging a whole car off your home’s circuit.
But when you look at the wider picture, you’ll be able to recoup some if not most of this cost by saving in other areas.
For example, you don’t need to travel to ‘refuel’ your car and can save money on expensive petrol or diesel. In terms of a direct comparison, it’s expected that you can get a full charge (around 200 miles) for around £17 when charging your EV at home.
Believe us, the numbers really do stack up in favour of an electric vehicle.
Ready for your electric car? Explore the models available and find out which hybrid/electric vehicle suits your lifestyle?