The link above from the Guardian features actor and EV enthusiast Robert Llewellyn answer some of the more common concerns associated with EV ownership. (Interesting that the old marketing term “FUD”, for fear, uncertainty, doubt, gets used in the title to really hammer home the point that it’s wrong to have any concerns whatsoever!) Llewellyn tackles nine of what he considers to be the most common anxieties for people that have not yet been convinced of the merits of EVs. These include “old batteries end up in landfill”, “too many EVs charging at the same time will melt the grid”, and my favourite, “EVs are a silent killer”. I’ll leave it to you to read all nine but I have a sneaking suspicion that you (like me) will note a few glaring omissions that have yet to be fully solved for, which I will bring up here…
The most common concern that I hear regarding the acceptance of EVs is the lack of charging infrastructure. If you have off-street parking or driveway then this will obviously not apply to you as you will be able to install your own home charger or run an extension cable through your letterbox. However, for the majority of car-owning households in London that do not have a driveway, the reality is that charging an EV is simply not a convenient undertaking. I accept that most London-based trips are short-hauled thus requiring less need to recharge to begin with but if (like me) the closest charging point from my home is 1.1 miles away, then it’s a bit of pain.
This leads into the second most common complaint that I hear regarding EV’s which is that it does indeed take a fair whack of time to re-charge the batteries. If you’re one of the lucky ones with high-speed charging capabilities then that’s great as you’ll only be obliged to nurse your coffee for 75mins, rather than upwards of eight hours for those without. I hear you – plan your trip accordingly to use the time efficiently while your car is charging. Go to the supermarket, see a movie, have a meal. Just make sure that while your car is charging at a public charging point that you… spend (more) money!!
The final complaint that I hear most often is about the actual range of the EVs themselves – simply put, the range isn’t always as advertised by the EV manufacturers. Real life tests by the likes of Tesla et al will showcase the battery range of their newest cars without actually using simple electrically driven features that most drivers and passengers take for granted in their ICE cars, such as climate control, heated seats or the ability to really crank your music loudly should your favourite Spice Girls track come over the radio. And of course if you have even a sliiiiightly heavy right foot, watch that battery indicator drop faster than you can say “Where’s the next charging station”?
Don’t get me wrong, EVs are a great solution to combat dirty smog in our cities. But the FUD’s that still float around have yet to be filtered into something more breathable…
