Electric car ‘myths’ are putting drivers off from making the switch – survey
Many drivers are being put off the idea of electric motoring because of “myths” about the vehicles, a new survey suggests.
Chargepoint supplier char.gy, which commissioned the research, said electric vehicles (EVs) are “rapidly outpacing” traditionally-fuelled models on performance and value.
The company commissioned YouGov to survey 1,005 UK drivers and 206 EV drivers.
Some 71% of respondents who do not drive an EV said their biggest concern about them was range anxiety, which is the fear that an EV could run out of charge mid-journey.
This is despite “significant improvements” in EV range since the first models were brought to market, according to char.gy.
Price
Another common reason for unease about EVs is purchase price (62%), even though the average cost of a used EV has dropped by more than a fifth since 2023 and is expected to fall another 28% by 2030, the company said.
More than three out of five (63%) non-owners say cheaper charging would persuade them to switch, the poll indicated.
Some 72% of respondents who are not considering an EV at all said they do not know where they would charge one.
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said: “EVs aren’t a distant future anymore: they’re here, they’re affordable and they’re rapidly outpacing combustion cars on performance and value.
“But the data shows the biggest barrier isn’t the vehicles, it’s the stories we tell about them.
“If we can debunk the myths and meet people where they are, especially at the kerbside, we’ll accelerate this transition faster and fairer.”
Psychological
Ginny Buckley, broadcaster and founder of EV advice website Electrifying.com, said: “The shift to electric vehicles is no longer a question of if, but when.
“Yet, as this report so clearly shows, the barriers to adoption are not just technical; they’re psychological, practical and deeply human.
“Misconceptions persist, access remains unequal, and for too many drivers the EV future still feels out of reach.”
Tanya Sinclair, chief executive of lobby group Electric Vehicles UK, said: “Correcting common EV myths can boost willingness to consider an electric car by 12%.
“Everyone in e-mobility has heard the myths. We tend to dismiss them as noise, but repeated often enough, they shape real decisions.”
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The cost of an electric vs the cost of an ICE is still absurd, so what if it drops by a fifth, they’re still more expensive. Even then it’s the cost of replacing the batteries every so often, especially in the used market. Replacing one of those batteries is not cheap and it’s not something most have a go mechanics would be able to install either.
Many of us are not going to be able to afford them for probably decades.
You sum up my reservations pretty accurately. Add to them the fact that, in our area at least, charging points are still pretty scarce.
Mine is 12 years old and is still on the original pack. I don’t know why people still think you need to change the battery in them.
My niece’s Renault Zoe is 7 years old and she can’t now rely on it to go further than 20 miles without running out of electricity. She is still paying Renault £50/month rental on the battery, so it’s unclear as to what she can do about replacing it. Scrapping the car may yet prove to be the best option.
I don’t know whether her experience is more typical or yours, but I’m certainly in no rush to find out for myself!
Probably a damaged cell in the pack.
The whole point of the battery lease that Renault brought out with the early Zoe is that you don’t own the battery, Renault do, so you should be able to get it looked at under warranty if you’re still paying for the lease.
They will simply remove the damaged cell and replace it with a good one. You can get independent specialists like Cleevely in Gloucester to look at it too.
https://youtu.be/Ws9Y1be8N-U?si=arGZl1vpNvF6bJ7V
She’s been in touch with Renault but they are unco-operative. All they’ve suggested is that she trades it in against a new(er) car! She’s now shopping around for a 10 year old diesel and the Renault is headed for the weighbridge.
Best decision I ever made car-wise was switching to an EV. The amount of money I have saved is insane! However, if you don’t have a drive way then the main benefit (charging for cheap at home) is not available.
Same. I bought a second hand Leaf six years ago, it’s now 12 years old. Stillworks really well and has saved me thousands.
The extra cost didn’t bother me as I bought it on HP and it was immediately cheaper per month than running my previous petrol car and more convenient as I charged overnight and didn’t ever have to get petrol before I drove to work.
“saved me thousands”
“The extra cost didn’t bother me as I bought it on HP”
So it probably hasn’t saved you all that many thousands after all…
The HP monthly repayments plus the cost of electricity was cheaper than the cost of petrol per month I was paying before. So yes it has. The car is still worth something, unlike the petrol I would have bought.
Well, I for one would be interested in seeing the actual figures as opposed to just heresay.
Like many, I don’t have the resources to splash on any sort of new car. Nor do I relish the thought of getting seriously in hock for such a bad investment; something that after about three years will have lost about 50% of its value. Nor am I enamoured of cars full of electronic tat waiting to go wrong… three years in a Mercedes taught me that!
What will get me out of my 15YO diesel Peugeot (cost £800 three years ago, insurance £180 FC, tax £20) is decent public transport – not an EV of any description.
Decent “Free” public transport. Public transport should be free at the point of use. Car usage would absolutely plummet. Of course, it would mean a tax rise to cover the cost but for the masses, this would work out just fine.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind paying at the point of use if it were reliable and timely. I even live in a village with a train station, but the service is neither of those things sadly.
I thought that part of the reason that we are in the financial situation we are in was due to debt. If we encourage people to ditch their ICE car and buy an EV we are encouraging people to spend money that they haven’t got. If we are encouraging people to change to EV as an environment benefit surely it’s better for the environment to look after the car that we already have and not scrap it.