There are a lot of misconceptions about EVs out there. We’re tackling five of them in this post.
1. EVs don’t have enough range—BUSTED
Some people expect EVs to go as long between charges as gas cars go between fill-ups, but they just don’t have to, because you’ll charge your EV more often than you fill up your gas car. Instead of heading to the gas station when the tank is empty, EV drivers top off wherever they are, usually at home or work. The average U.S. driver travels fewer than 40 miles a day, well within the range of any EV, and those with long-range driving needs have their pick of EVs with a median driving range of 250 miles, including affordable options like the Chevy Bolt, Tesla Model 3, Nissan LEAF and Hyundai Ioniq.
2. EVs aren't environmentally friendly because electricity comes from coal—BUSTED
EVs cut greenhouse gas emissions by around two-thirds in both Europe and the U.S., no matter how the energy used to charge them is produced. If you live somewhere that produces most of its energy from renewable sources, you can reduce your emissions even more. Plus, EVs are far more efficient than gas cars, wasting less of the energy they consume.
3. It takes too long to charge—BUSTED
Charging an EV takes only a few seconds: the time it takes to plug your car in before you go do something else. Just like your cell phone, your car charges while you’re busy doing other stuff. Because cars spend around 95% of the time parked, you’ll have more than enough time to charge: in fact, our own network data shows that EV drivers stay parked for 50% longer than they need to charge, on average.
4. EVs are only good for ideal climates—BUSTED
You may lose some range in the coldest days of winter, but there are people successfully driving EVs farther north than most of us live (Norway has more EVs per capita than any other country in the world). Staying plugged in and keeping your car in a garage will help keep your battery happy. You can also precondition the cabin temperature while plugged in and use seat heaters or steering wheel heaters instead of the climate system to preserve your battery.
5. EV batteries lose range fast—BUSTED
Most EVs these days have at least an 8-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty. If properly taken care of, an EV battery won’t become range restricted until well over 100,000 miles, eventually achieving a lifespan of upwards of 200,000 miles. Unless you’re planning to hold onto your EV for decades, battery degradation shouldn't be an issue for you.
BONUS MYTH: There aren’t any chargers near me—BUSTED
You know that feeling when you’ve recently purchased something and suddenly you start seeing it everywhere? It’s kind of like that with EV charging. You may be surprised to find there are chargers in places you thought you knew well. You can even get your own home charger.
Convinced? Download the ChargePoint App to find places to charge near you.
