EV Myth Busting: 8 common misconceptions about electric vehicles
- Thursday, August 10, 2023
- Posted By The Growth Company
Electric Vehicles are, for many of us, a new and daunting technology. We’re so used to driving around in petrol and diesel cars which are easy to fill up and go that the thought of anything new scares us.
As with any new technology, there are a lot of myths that are giving EVs a bad reputation. From misconceptions about the cost to scaremongering about the availability and accessibility of charge points giving drivers range anxiety, the rumours are not helping take up.
The Bee Net Zero partnership like to think of ourselves as honest brokers. We’re made up of trusted names from across Greater Manchester like Transport for Greater Manchester, Electricity North West, Siemens and Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Therefore, we wanted to help break some of these myths and reveal the truth behind EVs to help you decide whether they’re the low-carbon transport method for you.
It’s true, right now electric cars tend to have higher upfront costs if you’re buying one outright because the technology is relatively new. However, you will save money in the long term by making the switch. On average, maintenance and fuel costs are much lower for EVs than petrol or diesel cars, and you won’t pay any congestion fees or road tax until 2025, which is a significant saving.
As EVs develop, more and more models are coming to market which means much more choice for us consumers at a range of different price points. Contrary to popular belief, not every electric car on the market is a £50,000 premium model, there are now makes and models to suit all budgets with more coming to market every day.
Plus, there are solutions to making EVs more affordable. For business use, there are a range of Green Finance solutions available which can support the purchase of green vehicles. Similarly, there are grants available for charger installation which could cover up to £300 per socket.
For individual use, many businesses are choosing to adopt a salary sacrifice scheme to help employees afford EVs. This leasing scheme means a charge comes directly from an employee's wages before tax, saving both the employee and the employer money.
Incorrect. This is a huge concern among drivers buying an electric vehicle for the first time as nobody wants to be left stranded with no charge. However, a typical electric vehicle battery has a range of anywhere between 100 to 300 miles. Government statistics and RAC black box data reveal that the average UK journey is around 10 miles, so most electric vehicles would be able to complete an entire week’s worth of commuting before needing to be plugged in. Drivers can rest assured that EVs can support their daily commute, short journeys and even mid-range journeys comfortably without needing a recharge.
Of course, as with any battery-powered tech, battery life may diminish as it gets older. However, there are already millions of electric cars on the roads across the world and there’s no evidence to suggest that EV batteries only last a few years as many believe. Most batteries now have a lifespan of a decade or more and this continues to improve as technology advances. Alongside this most EV batteries come with an 8 to 10-year – or 100,000-mile – warranty, so you won’t have to worry about replacing your car’s battery any time soon.
Right now, there are over 42,000 public charge points available across the UK, with hundreds of new ones being added to the network every month. Granted, most of these chargers are currently in London but this is something our region is heavily investing in.
In Greater Manchester alone there are 360 publicly available EV chargers with approximately 700 connectors and many of our local authorities have committed to installing more to extend the charging network. Then of course there are apps like Joosup and Co Charger which allow EV drivers to access other drivers' home chargers for a small fee. So, in short, there’s plenty of charging capacity and much more to come especially if more businesses embrace community charging.
Many drivers install a charger at home and business owners choose to install them in the workplace, making charging their car cheap and convenient. Installing an EV charger will cost around £1,000, but government grants can fund up to 75% of the cost for both businesses and individuals.
As most people who have a home charger do it overnight or people with workplace chargers can plug in during the working day, this isn’t something most of us need to worry about.
Trickle chargers will do the job perfectly while your car is sitting stationary and so it’s just a matter of changing habits and thinking ahead about charging your car. However, if you’re in the middle of a journey and need a quick boost, rapid charge points can recharge a battery in as little as 20 minutes and are often found at service stations and convenient locations for drivers.
The main thing to understand here is that there are three different charging speeds in the UK; slow, fast and rapid. Slow chargers take around 6-7 hours to charge a car and are most commonly found at home or in the workplace. Fast chargers can recharge even in a couple of hours and are often found in car parks and shopping centres. Rapid chargers can offer up to 80% charge in just 20 minutes, they’re found at motorway services and close to major roads. You do not need a rapid charger at home or in the workplace unless your industry requires a lot of driving and super-fast charging.
Although it does make things easier, access to off-street parking isn’t essential for charging an electric vehicle. Across the UK there are thousands of public charge points are available on the street, at supermarkets, leisure centres, and car parks with many workplaces now opting to install chargers for their employee's use.
Local authorities across Greater Manchester are continuing to improve the availability and accessibility of public charge points for electric car drivers without private parking including plans for the region’s first large-scale green charging Oasis. Remember, there are always apps like JoosUp and Co Charger to help you access neighbours' chargers if you’re stuck.
Of course, every so often you will come across a public charge point that is out-of-action. This is the same with any piece of publicly owned infrastructure. Luckily, it’s not that common. As more charging points are added by local authorities and businesses there will be more working charge points to choose from. And, as the public becomes more accustomed to using EV charge points, misuse or damage should become less commonplace.
Filling up with fuel is so easy it’s second nature. With a range of connectors, rates of charge and different places to charge your EV drivers are under the misconception that charging an electric vehicle is incredibly complex.
As we said earlier there are three different charging speeds in the UK; slow, fast and rapid. Slow chargers take around 6-7 hours to charge a car and are most commonly found at home or in the workplace. Fast chargers can recharge an EV in a couple of hours and are often found in car parks and shopping centres. Rapid chargers can offer up to 80% charge in just 20 minutes, they’re found at motorway services and close to major roads. You do not need a rapid charger at home or in the workplace unless your industry requires a lot of driving and super-fast charging.
Many new charge points now let you pay as you go with a contactless credit or debit card. The Government mandated in 2017 that new and replacement charge points had to offer standard connectors, so now almost all EVs can connect to the entire charging network simply and easily.
Experts predict that by 2050, EVs will account for around 20% of total electricity demand. However, the National Grid is confident that its updates and investments in renewable energy mean it can comfortably cope with the increased demand.
Further demand for EVs will increase demand for electricity generation, but the most significant thing to consider is how the energy is generated. Burning coal to generate electricity isn’t very good for the planet. But currently, more than 40% of the UK’s electricity generation comes from renewable and low-carbon sources.
The other key thing to consider is the time in which you are charging. Avoiding peak times for charging if you can means it’s less likely that the National Grid needs to rely on fossil fuels, making your electric car even greener and cheaper. EVs can be charged overnight or when renewable energy is readily available and cheaper in price. Using the National Grid’s WhenToPlugIn app will tell you the best time of day to get the cleanest energy.
Also as more properties adopt onsite renewables like solar panels to generate their energy, this can be used to charge EVs. So, if a business has a large amount of solar panels, its EVs could be self-sufficient saving you money and relieving pressure from the grid.
To learn more about adopting electric vehicles in your business, or encouraging employees Bee Net Zero are gathering the support available to Greater Manchester organisations that can make switching to EVs easy; whether you’re electrifying your fleet, encouraging employee take up or simply installing chargers to futureproof your business.
To learn more about why your business should take up electric vehicles, how to do this and the support available across Greater Manchester, visit our campaign page.