If you’re thinking of going green with an electric vehicle, then you are likely to have heard all the urban myths. Electric vehicle technology has quickly developed in recent times yet limits of early technology are still named as issues today. Here, at Trent Electric Vehicle Charging, we want to help set the record straight.
Here are five common misconceptions to help start your electric journey.
Myth 1: Electric vehicles are ‘dirty’ producing as many carbon dioxide emissions as a petrol or diesel vehicle
The Facts: When you consider ‘well to wheel’ emissions, we can see the bigger picture.
The well to wheel calculation of petrol or diesel vehicle emissions takes into account the emissions associated with extracting and refining the fuel, transporting it to your local fuelling station and finally being burnt within your engine on the road. For the comparison, we also consider the emissions associated with electricity generation and the conversion to miles within the electric vehicle.
From a 2017 UK Government study. Well to wheel petrol vehicles produce the highest carbon dioxide emissions at 211g per kilometre, while diesel vehicles emitted 179g. Comparing this to an electric vehicle it was found just 73g of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometre were produced.
In the UK; our electricity supply consists of several renewable electricity sources and last year the UK grid saw a 7% increase in renewable electricity. This figure will increase in the future, meaning electric vehicles will continue to become less carbon-intensive.
Myth 2: Electric vehicles are not suited to long journeys
The Facts: On the whole, pure electric vehicles have an average range of 197 miles, with a few models able to go a lot further on a single charge.
Now, bear in mind that 68% of journeys we make each year are under five miles. And if you want to travel further – you can.
Still concerned you’ll run out of battery? There are plenty of efficient driving tricks to help squeeze more miles out of a charge.
Myth 3: There are not enough charging points
The Facts: You can find over 20,000 charge points between the Shetland Islands and Jersey.
Electric Vehicle Charging points are less noticeable than petrol stations, but you may have seen them pop up in local car parks; the UK is now home to a well-connected public charge point network.
It’s quicker to refuel your current petrol or diesel car but you can take advantage of the charging time to shop, enjoy a meal or explore the local area – you can often find charge points at tourist attractions. If you have off-street parking, you can install your very own charge point at home.
It’s best to plan on long journeys if you need to top up the charge, look for chargers in interesting places and check their availability first using a charge point map such as Zap-Map or Charge Place Scotland to avoid waiting.
Myth 4: The grid cannot support an increase in electric vehicle charging
The Fact: Current estimates show that if we all switched all vehicles to electric overnight, we would only experience only a 10% increase in demand, which is well within the grid’s capacity.
Electricity demand is now 16% less than 18 years ago. Most appliances and gadgets have become increasingly energy-efficient, reducing the demand on the grid.
With the growth in electric vehicle adoption rising steadily it’s allowing time for the National Grid to understand charging patterns and plan.
Myth 5: Electric vehicle batteries are wasteful and can’t be recycled
The Facts: You may have come across arguments that electric vehicle batteries either can’t be recycled or are difficult to recycle and that they are likely to end up in a landfill. In actual fact, the developments in battery component extraction mean processing centres can extract 98% of the batteries materials for either recycling or reuse.
Electric vehicle batteries can either be recycled at processing centres or some companies can remove electric vehicle batteries from the vehicle shell and put them to use in your home or sell them on for commercial use. If you have solar panels, an electric vehicle battery can be repurposed to store the electricity they generate, helping keep your electricity costs down.
Electric vehicle batteries that aren’t repurposed for energy storage, are currently shipped to EU processing centres. This is a short-term measure as the UK Government is working with partners to set up a sustainable battery recycling chain in the UK.
Batteries are a big subject. You can learn more about electric vehicle batteries in our blog.
The UK Government recently brought forward the date for ending the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans from 2040 to 2035.
Take the time now to get ahead and go electric. If you’re interested in finding out more about how we can help install vehicle charging points at your home, work, or public space contact us today for a free survey.
