5 electric vehicle myths busted! – EQ Mag Pro

As with every new technology, its adoption surrounds a plethora of doubts and criticisms that need to be clarified before the tech is widely accepted. Here are some of the myths around electric vehicles that we are attempting to debunk.

• Dispelling common myths surrounding electric vehicles.
• EVs are easier to maintain, can easily wade through water, are fast and don’t drain battery in traffic.
• Range anxiety slowly improving with betterment in infrastructure and battery technology.

Being used to owning, driving and travelling in conventional internal combustion or fossil fuel powered cars, we have become accustomed to their workings. With that comes some amount of trouble shooting in the event of a malfunction and in the century of their existence, we’ve also become accustomed to working our way around these issues.

In contrast, mainstream application of electric vehicles is still a fairly new concept, thus it’s only natural to face a number of apprehensions adopting and adapting to this new tech. But are these doubts pure facts that we should be worried about or mere fiction that our overly critical minds have conjured over time? The subject beckons delving deeper.

1. Electric vehicles can’t wade water, there’s always a risk of electrocution

The truth is far from the reality of this myth. A vehicle is designed to be operated in a variety of conditions and needless to say that they will inevitably be exposed to weather that’ll include extremes of temperatures and moisture levels.

A conventional car or a motorcycle is expected to operate in these extremes and do so on a daily basis so an electric car or two-wheeler shouldn’t be expected to be any different. Take for example, the MG ZS EV, a more affordable electric car that has been steadily gaining popularity over the past couple of years or so of it being retailed in India.

MG claims that the battery is IP67 rated which translates to dust and water resistance and the packaging of it can ensure that it can remain submerged in 1m of water for 30 minutes. That is of course theoretical but in reality, modern electric vehicles operate flawlessly in the floods during monsoons and have ample water ingress protection. Moreover, the charging apparatus is also weatherproof thus negating any dangers of charging or operating these vehicles in the rain.

2. Electric vehicles come with a high price tag and even higher maintenance or ownership costs

While the initial investment on an electric vehicle today would be higher than a comparatively sized, conventional, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, attributing to newer technology and higher costs of production; the latter half of the above point in question is actually what deflects the added numbers on the price tag of an EV. Electric vehicles don’t have an engine or a gearbox for that matter. This in itself eliminates a plethora of moving parts and components that are subject to wearing out or failing with use over a period of time. This is precisely why manufacturers would recommend major service intervals when these parts need replacement and that’s a time that your credit card bill touches a new high. Alternatively, an electric vehicle uses sealed motors and a single-speed transmission to propel the car and these use substantially fewer moving parts. So apart from the regular brake pads, tyres and occasional suspension repair and replacement you’re not looking at maintenance bills with oil changes, spark plug changes and timing belts or piston and crankshafts as an ICE ages. What’s more, performance updates, if any, are offered over-the-air for most electric vehicles thus further reducing trips to the service station while battery replacements are usually scheduled after 10-15 years from purchase. This is apart from government benefits that are extended to you as a discount when you purchase an electric vehicle.

3. Electric vehicles are slow and can’t outperform a petrol/diesel-powered car

Unless you’ve been living in a cave and stuck in the stone ages, you’ve probably heard of Tesla and if you’re a little internet savvy then you would’ve discovered YouTube by now. There’s visual proof of Tesla EVs (your regular day to day kinds, not even the exotic ones) out accelerating Lamborghinis, leaving behind dropped jaws in their wake along with a massively disappointed Lamborghini owner. There are electric supercar manufacturers like Rimac and specialised race cars like the Volkswagen I.D R that not only produce a ludicrous amount of power over a similar turbocharged multi-cylinder supercar but also manage to obliterate their acceleration achievements. Speaking of ludicrous, Tesla’s Ludicrous Mode boosts electrical output by just 10 per cent to achieve 0-100kmph times in under 3 seconds! That is supercar fast at half the price. Much of this brain twisting performance is attributed to instantaneous torque from the electric motors in an EV rather than a build up of power in an ICE car. This also means that your everyday electric car or motorcycle will benefit from brisk acceleration off stop lights and easier drivability in traffic.

4. I will probably have to take a cab back home if I get caught in traffic in my EV

Unlike ICE cars that constantly deplete fuel reserves upon usage, electric vehicles manage power much better. Where your petrol or diesel car will constantly use fuel while driving slowly, being stuck in traffic or even with inefficient driving methods, an electric car not only manages power consumption but also regenerates it. Every time an EV brakes or slows down, kinetic energy is stored and given back to the battery thus extending its range. So traffic is good for an EV as the range stabilises or even increases slightly due to the constant braking and slowing down. The only time when an EV will rapidly deplete power is while constantly running on the highway, not getting an opportunity to regenerate power. Auxiliary batteries in an EV also ensure that you don’t have to skimp on creature comforts like the music system or air-conditioning while stuck in traffic and worry about the main battery draining.

5. Driving range is always questionable in an EV

Being all-electric and aided by the latest technologies in power management, an electric vehicle using today’s battery standards and manufacturing, is able to deliver upwards of 350km of driving range while some cars even claim as much as 500km. Even after discounting the test cycle claimed range, one can expect 250km of range on a single charge which recent studies have proven to be a week’s worth of city commuting for a majority of users. Most EV manufacturers will supply a wall charger that should take a few hours to charge the vehicle to 100 per cent at the comfort of your home. This not only reduces your dependency on charging infrastructure in the city but also increases convenience. To put it simply, if you sleep for six hours a night, that’s ample time for most EVs to charge or top-up their batteries. As time and technology progresses, more high-capacity public chargers will become available and charging times will come down. Even now, a 50kW public fast charging dock can charge your EV to 80 per cent in under 50 minutes, extending your driving range and eliminating range anxiety.

Source: indiatoday