Opinion: Fact or fiction, debunking the most common EV myths

By Ashley Tate, managing director of Allstar Chargepass UK

Electric vehicle (EV) technology has seen many milestones, evolving at rapid pace from their conception in the 19th century with the likes of the Flocken Elektrowagen hitting the road to Tesla’s 21st century defining range of super EVs.

It’s not just the vehicles themselves that have advanced, with battery technology, charging infrastructure and autonomous driving and connectivity all now demanding equal innovation.

In doing so, they enable sustainable and efficient transportation solutions that will dominate the future of mobility.

That being said, innovation is often subject to critique and subjective opinions. Under the Road to Zero roadmap the landscape for travel is soon set for widespread change and as such, the EV industry is under scrutiny.

This can lead to the rumour mill spinning – I’ve seen everything from ‘the batteries will need replacing every five years’ to ‘you can’t put an EV through a car wash’.

So, here I will take a look at the latest myths to find out if they are grounded in fact or fiction, from practical ones about how to charge and the cost of electric, but some more outlandish ones too.

‘Electric cars catch fire more than ICE vehicles’

Whether it’s claims of setting entire airport car parks aflame, or continuing to burn days after first catching fire, there have been many claims that EVs catch fire more than petrol or diesel vehicles.

Research suggests that in fact, EVs, are much less likely to catch fire than internal combustion engines.

Analysis by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency discovered that the rate of fires per 100,000 electric or hybrid cars was 3.8, while for all vehicles of all fuel types, the rate was 68 fires per 100,000 cars.

In Australia, the government-funded EV Firesafe project looked at the new challenges faced by firefighters of battling battery blazes. They found a 0.0012% chance of a passenger EV battery catching fire, compared to 0.1% for an internal combustion (ICE) equivalent.

‘EVs create more brake and tyre pollution’

According to some, because of the weight of EVs, more particulate matter pollution is created from the vehicles’ brakes and tyres. True or false?

Brakes create less pollution from EVs than from ICE vehicles simply because they are typically worked less hard thanks to regenerative braking, where the motor slows the car rather than the brakes.

Due to regenerative braking EV brakes have more time to cool, which means manufacturers can use enclosed drum brakes. This reduces pollution when compared to exposed discs, especially on the rear wheels.

When we compare tyres between powertrains, the picture is less clear. We do know that the heavier the vehicle, the more tyre wear there is, and EVs are usually heavier than similar petrol or diesel models.

For example, a VW ID.4 is around 700kg heavier than an equivalent VW Golf. However, there are other factors involved, as EV tyres have a different composition for reduced rolling resistance, and drivers may alter the way they drive as they seek to maximise range.

Overall, there is currently not enough evidence to give a clear picture of all the technical and behavioural influences involved, so the jury is out.

‘Drivers don’t want EVs any more’

Drivers are turning away from EVs in droves, put off by the price, range and charging difficulties. Is this true or false?

So far in 2024 (records correct to May 2024), over 12,000 more electric cars have been sold than at the same time in 2023, with market share marginally up at 16.1%, compared to 15.7%.

Over 15,000 more plug-in hybrids were sold in the first five months of 2024 than in 2023. There is clearly demand for EVs, and much of this is powered by large fleets.

It is a slightly different story for private buyers with some underlying issues with demand for EVs. The same can be said for private buyers demand for all vehicle types, which is sluggish with sales down more than 9% on 2023.