Electric vehicles (EVs) are at the forefront of a transportation revolution, and evidence shows a mass switch to EVs could help clean the air, slow the pace of climate disruption and, over time, end the era of the internal combustion engine. Thankfully, we’re on our way there -- the U.S. just hit the 1 million mark for EVs on the road this month. Nonetheless, skepticism and myths about EVs persist for a variety of reasons. Corporate polluters like the Koch brothers and Big Oil are known to be behind the spread of misinformation about EVs within our media and public policy. It’s no surprise, given that a switch to electric transportation will lead to less oil use and lower profits. In this two-part series, we look at a few of the most frightening myths about EVs, fueled largely by the fossil fuel industry, and counter them with a clearer picture of reality.
MYTH: “EVs are more costly than vehicles run on oil.”
TRUTH: While many people are under the impression that EVs cost more than internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles, this is largely untrue, especially if you consider the lifetime costs of the vehicles. It is true that many EV models do have higher sticker prices than those for conventional vehicles; however, federal and state tax credits and rebates help offset the costs of buying or leasing an electric car. EVs also have fewer moving parts, leading to reduced maintenance costs and lower “fuel” costs (electricity is cheaper than gasoline or diesel), making total cost of ownership for EVs far less than for ICE vehicles. In some states, EV owners can fuel their vehicles to capacity for less than a dollar.
Used EVs are actually some of the fastest selling used cars. Oregon's rebate program includes an incentive for used EVs, and other states are expected to follow suit.
As time goes on, electric cars will become even more affordable as production increases and battery costs decrease. But the data is clear: If you buy or lease many models of electric cars rather than ones powered by gas, you will save a significant amount of money while you drive it.
MYTH: “People just aren’t that into electric cars.”
“Trying to force consumers into less-polluting cars is like trying to make a three-year-old eat vegetables,” said Rhett Ricart, a car dealer in Columbus, Ohio, who serves as regulatory chairman for the National Automobile Dealers Association, a trade association that has lobbied hard against incentives for auto fuel efficiency and EV standards.
TRUTH: The demand for EVs is higher than the supply. One in five Americans wants an electric car, and a survey found that 20 percent of Americans said an EV would be the next car they buy -- up from 15 percent in 2017. A Sierra Club survey found that many auto dealerships make it hard for consumers by often having no EVs on a dealer lot or having salespeople poorly trained on them. Also, the industry is barely advertising the EV models.
Despite that, EV sales shattered previous records in September. The U.S. EV market reached a major milestone last month as automakers reached 1,000,000 EV sales.
MYTH: “EVs could leave you stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
TRUTH: Range anxiety -- the fear that a battery will deplete before a driver reaches a charging station -- remains one of the largest barriers to EV adoption. People don’t want to find themselves stranded on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere as night falls and coyotes begin to howl....
But studies show that range anxiety is overblown. First of all, plug-in hybrids are able to rely on gasoline after their electric mileage runs out on any given long trip. Also, it turns out that about 60 percent of all vehicle trips in the U.S. in 2017 were under six miles, and average trips are under 40 miles -- far less than the electric range of every full-battery EV on the market. Electric school bus pilot programs are underway in several states, and with ranges up to 100 miles, these buses are able to get school children to and from school safely. Many electric transit buses can travel up to 360 miles per charge.
We’ve seen the acceleration of vehicle charging stations nationwide, and more are coming as a result of the Volkswagen settlement. There are now more than 50,000 charging stations in the U.S., not to mention the home charging that many (though not all) EV drivers are able to do. And just this month, Google Maps now shows where you can charge your electric car.
Just as any movement for a more just and sustainable world faces challenges and growing pains, so does the movement for clean transportation. Despite real obstacles facing our nation’s swift transition from dirty, polluting engines to clean, zero-emission vehicles, it’s essential that consumers, transit riders, and public officials be informed about what is true regarding EVs and what is invented or misrepresented in a way that only serves to slow the transition to a cleaner transportation future for all. Stay tuned for our next blog in this two-part series addressing other EV myths, including those related to the equity of EVs, the ethical issues regarding their batteries, and whether or not EVs are just as harmful to our climate as conventional vehicles are.
Mary Lunetta is the campaign representative for the Sierra Club's Electric Vehicles Initiative.
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