Marvellous magical myths about electric vehicles
Here are some common myths about EVs and the truth behind each myth.
Myth 1: Electric vehicles cost a lot
Just like any type of car, there’s a range of electric models available, and these come with a range of prices. With more options being released in Australia every year, you can find an EV to suit your budget and style.
Once you’ve bought your EV, the running costs are likely to be a lot less compared with a petrol-fuelled car. Based on stats provided by the Electric Vehicle Council, around $14 worth of electricity will drive you as far as around $50 of petrol!
At Synergy, we’re now talking to EV owners to trial our EV tariff, which will allow our customers to charge their EVs at home in off-peak times at a discounted rate.
With an EV, there’s also less maintenance to pay for since the engine doesn’t have an internal combustion engine like a petrol-fuelled car does. All of these cost factors add up to a cost-efficient way to drive around.
Myth 2: EVs can’t drive far
Some of our customers have told us that they’re concerned about the distance an EV can drive before needing to be recharged. That’s a fair concern of course, but with an EV you can drive much further than you might think.
If you’re like most drivers in WA, most of your driving is within a relatively short distance of your home. With an EV, you can drive just as far as you usually would – and even take your EV on trips down south. WA has hundreds of charging stations, including the RAC’s DC Fast Charger electric highway in the south west, with charging stations along the way to help you top up your battery charge if you need.
Myth 3: EVs can’t be that much better for the environment if they’re run on electricity
EVs aren’t emission-free, especially if traditional sources of electricity are used to charge the batteries. They are, however, a much cleaner form of transport than cars run on more emissions-intensive fuel, such as petrol and diesel fuels.
The dream scenario is one where your EV is charged using electricity generated by your solar panels at home. Renewable energy is likely to become a much bigger part of the EV picture as more of us start to drive EVs.
Myth 4: EVs are hard to charge
The truth is, an EV is as easy to charge as your mobile phone! Most EV owners will charge their cars overnight at home using a normal electrical outlet or a special EV charging unit.
When you’re out and about, you can find EV chargers all over Perth and around WA, some in carparks, shopping centres and restaurants.
Myth 5: EVs are just a passing trend
Volvo is going all in on EVs from 2019 and some countries in the world have announced they will be banning petrol cars in the future. Norway might ban petrol cars as early as 2025!
According to a white paper from Advisian, cited on the Electric Vehicles Council website, “the benefits EVs offer consumers will be the main reason for their uptake and we can expect more than four million EVs on Australian roads by 2035.”
The truth is EVs are not going anywhere, except on our roads. The choices and features available are simply going to get better and better as the tech advances.
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