3 Myths About EVs We Need To Address
Electric cars are a common sight on our roads, but the rate of adoption is a lot lower than many manufacturers would have hoped. A factor for this problem is the misconceptions towards EVs and the technology that supports them.
They are new in the market compared to internal combustion engine cars and as such information on how they work, reliability and cost of ownership aren’t as easy to attain. But that is changing as governmental bodies, and automotive journalists continue to delve deeper into EV technology.
In this article we are going to cover a few misconceptions that should put to rest certain fears that are preventing consumers from buying EVs. While they may not be everyone’s cup of tea, for most city dwellers they are more than capable of replacing their ICE counterparts.
EV batteries don’t last long
Electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries because they have high energy density, high voltage, low self-discharge, have a long service life and several other things. The packs are designed to last for at least 10 to 20 years, which is far greater than the lifespan of most vehicles.
Lithium-ion batteries can be charged and discharged over several hundred or thousands of cycles without experiencing much degradation. This makes them ideal power sources for electronic devices and electric cars.
Most electric vehicle manufacturers offer extensive warranties on their EV batteries, which range between 8 to 10 years. Even after said period, the EVs continue to function with atleast 75% of their original capacity.
EV battery range isn’t practical for regular activities
Range anxiety was a major hurdle for EVs from the mid-2000s. But that is no longer the case as even the cheapest ones like the BYD Dolphin and MG4 EV, when fully charged, can cover 340km and 350km, respectively.
For city dwellers this is far greater than the distance they travel daily. Most if not all EVs support AC quick charging and DC rapid changing technology, which hastens charging times from an entire night to a few hours and 30 minutes, respectively.
EVs are more complicated than ICE ones
This isn’t true. ICE vehicles consist of hundreds if not thousands of moving parts, most of which are in the engine and transmission. On the other hand, electric vehicles have fewer moving parts that make up the electric motor, single speed transmission and suspension.
As a result they are less labour intensive to work on during scheduled maintenance servicing. Fewer fluids need to be replaced due to the lack of an internal combustion engine and hydraulic power steering system (depending on the model).
Most problems reported by EV owners revolve around the battery pack and issues with charging. Hardware failure or glitches in the software may be the major contributing factors, which are in addition to misbehaving public charging outlets.
There are many more myths like these that require addressing before we can witness an uptick in EV adoption anytime soon. If you found this article informative, the following ones may be helpful as well:
