Common Misconceptions About Electric Vehicles
With the growth of Electric Vehicles becoming more popular in the UK, there is a lot of information circulating, some are accurate but a lot of it have stemmed from misconceptions & lack of knowledge.
We want to address these common myths and misconceptions which see and are asked about daily to try to help to build confidence for those which are considering the move to an EV.
1. "An Electric Vehicle wouldn't have enough range for my journey"
The average annual mileage in the UK hovers around 7,400, dividing this between 12 months, it averages out to around 154.17 miles per week and with the majority of EV's at the moment having an average range after a full charge of between 150-300, it would mean you would be able to go even a few days without worrying about charging up the vehicle.
2: "There aren't enough places to charge and it takes too long"
When first learning about EV's, it's surprising to see how many more electric chargers there are already in comparison to petrol stations. At the end of 2023 there was 8,353 operational and under development petrol stations, if you compare this to the amount of EV chargers in the UK which at the end of September 2024 had hit 70,000 it really puts things into a better perspective of how much more accessible electric charging is becoming. Depending on the charging point power, your vehicle could be taken from 20% up to 80% in just 20 minutes. Although it is a case of it not being as instant as a petrol/diesel refuel, how much difference will it make to your journey? How often do you pull up in a service station on the motorway and stop for less than 20 minutes?
We’ve a number of staff that have electric vehicles and their experiences differ. One makes mostly short journeys, they charge it up on a Monday and Friday so that they’re ready for the weekend but otherwise they rarely charge it at all.
The other makes longer journeys and likes to keep theirs topped up, plugging it into their home wallbox to charge over night using their EV tariff.
3. "I don't have off-street parking so wouldn't be able to charge my EV"
Although there are benefits to having your own off-street parking, it definitely does not rule out an EV if you don't have access to one. Over time there is becoming a lot more options for residents who are interested in progressing with an Electric Vehicle. For starters, The On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS) is available to all UK local authorities to provide public charge points for their residents without access to private parking.
4. "Electric Vehicles are so much more expensive"
At point of purchasing, this is usually the case, EV's are more expensive but the low running costs that EV owners have let it really even out when it comes to overall cost. With prices as low as 1p a mile for off-peak electricity and less moving parts on the vehicle means less maintenance and service costs. At the moment in the UK, Electric Vehicles are exempt from road tax despite some being over the threshold for the luxury car tax.
In their recent EV Mythbusters series, The Guardian found that over the ownership period, an EV is likely to cost less that the equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle.
5. "I can't drive an electric vehicle in the rain"
All vehicles have to comply with certain technical rules prior to entering the market. This includes crash and electrical safety, ensuring that they're safe to drive and charge in all weather conditions. You should treat your EV how you would with a Petrol or Diesel car with the thought in mind that it could potentially handle differently in those wetter conditions so be sure to think about your braking distances and tyre maintenance.
6. "Electric cars pose a greater fire risk than petrol or diesel vehicles"
During their recent EV Mythbusters series, the Guardian found that despite the increased danger once a battery fire is burning, the probability of being caught in an EV fire appears overall to be much lower than for petrol or diesel cars, based on currently available data – although this could change as more people get electric cars.
D G Weaver Ltd is an Appointed Representative of Automotive Compliance Ltd who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA No. 497010). Automotive Compliance Ltd’s permissions as a Principal Firm allows D G Weaver Ltd to act as a credit broker, not a lender, for the introduction to a limited number of lenders, and to act as an agent on behalf of the insurer for insurance distribution activities only.
We are a credit broker and not a lender. We can introduce you to a carefully selected panel of lenders, which includes manufacturer lenders linked directly to the franchises that we represent. We act on behalf of the lender for this introduction and not as your agent. We are not impartial, and we are not an independent financial advisor.
Our approach is to introduce you first to the manufacturer lender linked directly to the particular franchise you are purchasing your vehicle from, who are usually able to offer the best available package for you, taking into account both interest rates and other contributions. If they are unable to make you an offer of finance, we then seek to introduce you to whichever of the other lenders on our panel is able to make the next most suitable offer of finance for you. Our aim is to secure a suitable finance agreement for you that enables you to achieve your financial objectives. If you purchase a vehicle, in the majority of cases, we will receive a commission from your lender for introducing you to them which is either a fixed fee, or a fixed percentage of the amount that you borrow. This may be linked to the vehicle model you purchase.
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