Every new entrant in the marketplace, be it a technology or a product, always has its fair share of critics and myths and electric vehicles are no exception. While technology enthusiasts always welcome fair criticisms, the prevailing myths can ruin researchers’ and technology providers’ years of hard work. Over the years the EVs have developed in terms of the technology that they employ. But still the limitations that they once had are still being used by the cynics, which propagates via social media platforms. With this flooded misinformation, the consumer restricts itself to switch to EVs. In this article we will try to take on these myths one by one.

Myth 1:  Low Range

Range of EVs was surely a legitimate concern a few years ago. But with the recent advances in technology and higher investments, their range is continuously increasing with time. Current EV options available in India can easily meet or even surpass the demand of an average Indian driver. The range of electric cars currently available in India starts from 285 km to as far as 580km depending on the amount a consumer is willing to spend. One can get an average range of around 300 km under 12 to 14 lakhs rupees.  Similarly, in two wheelers also one can get an average range of 150-180 km/charge. These ranges are enough to meet the demands of an average Indian consumer. Also, with rapidly growing fast charging infrastructures, one can travel even longer distances at a very low cost.

Myth 2: Takes a toll on the pocket

Like every other new technology EVs that are currently available are at relatively higher upfront costs. However, if we consider the total cost of ownership, which includes fuel, maintenance and servicing costs, EVs are more economical than the standard internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. With the rising demands of EVs the upfront cost will also go down. Additionally, subsidies and incentives provided by various state governments also reduce the initial cost by a margin.

Myth 3: Long charging time

There is no denial to the obvious fact that EV takes longer time to refuel than an ICE vehicle. This issue can be easily tackled with a basic pre-planning. An average driver’s car remains parked for 90% of the time, mostly at night. This time can be utilized for recharging the EV. Additionally, growing fast charging infrastructures can charge EVs form 0-80% in an hour. Considering EVs as the future of transport, researchers have increased charging speeds by a factor of five in the past few years. The ongoing research will further enhance these factors in the near future. For now, with a simple planning a rider can easily overcome this higher refueling time than ICEs and minimize their cost of running.

Myth 4: Environmental impact of EVs are more than the ICEs

Critics often cite electricity used for charging EVs increases the carbon footprint negating the effect of no emissions from a running electric vehicle. EVs have the capability to use around 60% of the electrical energy from the grid while ICEs can use only 20% of the energy stored in the petrol to power their wheels. Additionally, India’s ambitious plan of achieving 40% of its cumulative electric power from renewables by 2030, will further decrease the carbon footprint by the EVs. There are enough studies which show that ICEs emit three times more carbon dioxide than an equivalent EV.