Harmful myths put electric cars at a disadvantage compared to gasoline cars

Like many new products, there is a lot of misinformation surrounding electric vehicles.

Electric car prices always high?

Electric car prices have gradually decreased over time, with some models costing the same as gasoline cars.

Lithium-ion battery prices have dropped 97% since 1991 and are likely to continue falling. According to the US Department of Energy, according to the vehicle's lifespan, electric cars are cheaper than corresponding internal combustion engine vehicles in terms of maintenance, repair, and fuel costs, resulting in a total cost (including price). purchasing and raising costs) are cheaper.

Will electric vehicles overload the power grid?

Many people believe that the fragile and outdated power grid of many countries, even including the US, will never be able to cope once electric vehicles become truly popular.

America's top energy experts say that's not true. Assuming all new cars sold in the US are electric, that would represent a 25% increase in demand, but that increase would happen slowly over many years, allowing technology and grid infrastructure time to replenish. additional "carrying capacity".

Electric car batteries don't last long?

In a MyEV poll, 46% of potential electric vehicle buyers said the battery pack would only last up to 105.000 km. But this number is even lower than many manufacturers' warranty milestones (160.000 km).

Based on the performance of electric vehicles available over the past 10 years, electric vehicle batteries can maintain 80% capacity or more for at least 320.000 km. With a specific example from the Tesla Model S, the initial capacity decreases by 5% in the first 80.000 km, followed by another 5% decrease in the next 240.000 km.

The operating range of electric vehicles is too small?

The average range of an electric vehicle sold in the US is about 390 km. According to statistics, 99% of trips are less than 160 km, the average driver travels about 65 km per day, and existing electric vehicles easily meet most daily needs.

However, with charging infrastructure still limited along highways and speeds above 100 km/h, the range of electric vehicles can be reduced by 40% (if snow is added), the Long trips are still at a certain level of inconvenience.

Charging always takes a long time?

Fast charging times have rapidly decreased, to the point that many models can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes.

New commercially available battery designs promise to halve that charging time to less than 10 minutes. This level will make charging more convenient on long trips.

Can't recycle batteries?

Experts predict that in a decade or so, used lithium batteries will start piling up, requiring recycling.

About a hundred companies are currently exploring and commercializing their own solutions. So in the meantime, it's best to keep the battery as durable as possible. Another promising solution in the near future is to utilize discarded car batteries as a source of additional energy for other devices or as a storage for static electricity.

Are electric cars more harmful to the environment?

Essentially, electric vehicles are more efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles. While gasoline engines only convert about 20% of the energy from the gasoline into power for the wheels, EV motors convert about 60% to 77% of the energy from the battery. This means that even with coal power, electric cars are still better than gasoline cars.

Some believe that the above does not take into account the production and exploitation of battery materials, which also cause pollution. But the above analysis Anthropocene Magazine shows that the electric vehicle production process is still "greener" because the number of parts that need to be produced is less.

Even considering the entire production life cycle, electric vehicles still emit less emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles

According to Youth