Debunking Electric Vehicle Misinformation Is So Much Fun!

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Electric vehicle misinformation is rampant in the media, but it doesn’t show the reality of the electric vehicle marketplace. New data from the UK shows an increase in retailers stocking used electric vehicles, signs of market confidence, and many other revealing statistics that debunk myths about EVs.

Auto Trader, ChargeUK, and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) originated a fact-finding initiative last year to combat electric vehicle misinformation. Now charge point tracking company Zapmap and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) have joined in the commitment to champion electric vehicle awareness.

Together, the coalition is circulating among various audiences a graphic-based collection of facts that offer a “balanced and data-backed view” on owning and driving EVs in the UK.

Steven Lee Myers and Stuart A. Thompson wrote in the New York Times earlier this month that there’s a “torrent of anger online from right-wing influencers and accounts that are promoting false claims and conspiratorial thinking.” Instead, let’s dig down on some of the big picture questions that the UK coalition posed in their graphic — and we’ll add in some comparison stats from here in the US as we do our own deep dive.

What’s EV pricing like? While much has been made of a slowdown in EV demand in the US, retailers are seeing more drivers going electric. There’s an EV price war happening in several markets, and new, cheaper models are arriving every month. The word is to expect the global EV market to continue growing at a solid pace. CleanTechnica’s José Pontes predicts that this year could end with at above 25% EV market share (17% BEV market share). As a result, the International Energy Agency estimates that US sales of fully electric vehicles will soar to 2.5 million in 2025, from 1.1 million last year.

What about running costs? Many EV drivers simply plug in and charge whenever they need to, without considering time-of-use rates or utility incentives. Charging at off-peak hours rather than during peak demand hours can save EV drivers on charging costs. This is called Smart Charging, and it adds to the way you’re already ahead of the curve in reducing emissions and cutting fuel costs.

Can I charge on-the-go? While 80% of charging happens at home, 20% takes place at destination and fast chargers, which are essential for road trips. As of February 2024, there were more than 61,000 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations with Level 2 or DC Fast chargers in the US. That’s more than twofold increase from roughly 29,000 stations in 2020. So, with some advanced planning, EV drivers have a more seamless travel experience. At the current pace, public fast-charging sites will outnumber gas stations in the US in about eight years — and charger momentum is only expected to accelerate.

Will my EV battery last? Indications that EV batteries last much longer than previously thought. In fact, a Stanford-SLAC report indicates that driver habits can extend the life of EV batteries by up to 40% compared to previous estimates. Recently, a steep drop in the cost of EV batteries is pushing the TCO advantage even farther to the EV side. In 2008, the cost of EV batteries was pegged at $1,355 per kilowatt-hour. Sixteen years later, the ICE parity goal of $80/kWh is within reach.

What can I expect from a full charge? An oft-cited fact from the US Department of Transportation is that the average person in the US drives 1,200 miles per month, or about 39 miles per day roundtrip. 95% of our car trips are 30 miles or shorter. Electric vehicle drivers understand the very ambiguous norm of EV range. And knowing our cars, we seldom experience range anxiety. Many of us use overnight Level 1 charging at home, and it turns out that Level 1 charging is often better for getting more charging capability installed and more electric cars charged. We get 4–7× more charging capability installed for the same cost if we go with Level 1 charging instead of Level 2. With charge-at-home ease, we get to truly experience the full joy of an electric vehicle — which it makes life so much easier.

Are EVs greener? Electric vehicles have zero emissions. Period. And electricity used by electric vehicles can become greener over time as coal and natural gas power plants are phased out and replaced with solar power, wind power, geothermal, and battery storage. Fossil fuel vehicles can’t get any cleaner – they can become more fuel efficient, but they will always be tied to excessive carbon and methane and benzene emissions, among other harmful emissions.

Do I need to worry about fire risks? Often, rushes to judgment about EV battery fires arise from isolated cases. The primary fear expressed is that EV batteries will explode during an accident, impact, or extreme weather conditions and erupt into fire, which might require several different approaches to extinguish. For anyone concerned about EV safety, it’s important to know that commercially available electric drive vehicles must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and undergo the same rigorous safety testing as conventional vehicles sold in the US. In the EU, EVs must be inspected every two years to ensure they are roadworthy. They must have specific safety features, such as a high-voltage interlock and a fail-safe mode. Electric vehicle misinformation is designed to hide the benefits of EVs: when drivers adopt an EV, they help clean the air, fight rising electricity prices, and sell more EVs, which creates a positive cycle, over and over.

AutoTrader Updates: Just the Facts, Folks

Our chief CleanTechnica editor, Zachary Shahan, bemoans the way so many people today fall for misinformation. “It seems like the United States is now crumbling under the weight of misinformation that has put Donald Trump into the White House (twice),” Zach explains, “and all that has unleashed. The pillars of our democracy are disintegrating, all because of the power of misleading, misinforming, ‘citizen’ media.”

The AutoTrader updates, which are intended to fight electric vehicle misinformation, offer statistics that reflect actual patterns of current transportation electrification acceptance.

• Public charge points are up to 75,675, and ultra-rapid chargers up to 15,109.
• Price difference between EVs and ICE has dropped from 33% to 23% in March.
• Share of used EVs under £20,000 is now at 38% – up from one in three in November.
• 29 new EVs with a retail price under £30,000 compared to 21 last year.
• Potential annual savings increasing from £750 to £790 due to an increase in fuel costs.
• Most current electric car owners (83%) said they would buy electric again.
• 79% (3,400) of franchise dealers stocks at least one used electric car – a 7% year-on-year (YoY) increase.

Of course, it must be noted that, while 17% (1,900) independent retailers stock electric cars, this is just a 2% YoY increase, a much slower rate of growth than many hoped.

It’s important to mention that, even with the backdrop of electric vehicle misinformation and renewable energy angst, Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 4% in 2024, provisional government data showed on Thursday. Emissions in the transport sector, Britain’s largest source of greenhouse gases, fell 2% due to reductions in road vehicle diesel use. The data means Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen around 54% from 1990 levels. Electric vehicles are helping to achieve some really fine goals in the UK.