New Delhi. Being used to owning, driving and traveling with traditional conventional internal combustion or fossil fuel-powered cars, we have become accustomed to them. Conversely, the use of electric vehicles in the mainstream is still a fairly new concept, thus it is natural to face many apprehensions in the adoption of this new technology. But are these skeptics facts about which we should be concerned or merely a figment of our highly critical minds? To answer all these questions, we have brought some myth busters.
1. Electric vehicle is always prone to electrocution in the event of rain
The reality is far from this myth. A vehicle is designed to operate in a variety of conditions and needless to say that they will inevitably be exposed to weather which will include extreme temperatures and humidity levels. A traditional car or motorcycle will be subject to these extremes. So electric car or two wheeler should not be expected to be separated from it.
The MG ZS EV, for example, is a more affordable electric car that has been steadily gaining popularity or is being sold in India over the years. MG claims that the battery is IP67 rated which translates into dust and water resistance and its packaging can ensure that it can be submerged in 1m of water for 30 minutes. In fact, modern electric vehicles operate smoothly during monsoon floods and have adequate water ingress protection. Moreover, the charging equipment is also weatherproof and thus negates any danger of charging or operating these vehicles in the rain.
2. Electric vehicles demand high price, as well as complicated maintenance
Electric vehicles do not have an engine or gearbox. This in itself eliminates the excess of moving parts that wear out or fail with use over a period of time. This is the reason why manufacturers will recommend service intervals when these parts need to be replaced and this is the time when your credit card bill touches a new high. Alternatively, an electric vehicle uses sealed motors and a single-speed transmission to propel the car forward and uses significantly fewer moving parts.
So in addition to regular brake pad, tire and sometimes exhaust repairs you are not looking at ICE bills as they age with maintenance, oil changes, spark plug changes and timing belts or pistons and crankshafts. Over-the-air is offered for most electric vehicles, further reducing service station trips, while battery replacement is usually scheduled after 10-15 years from purchase. This is in addition to the government benefits that are given to you in the form of discounts while buying an electric vehicle.
3. Electric vehicles are slow and cannot perform better than a petrol/diesel powered car
There are electric supercar makers like Rimac and specialty race cars like the Volkswagen ID R that not only produce ludicrous amounts of power over a similar turbocharged multi-cylinder supercar, but also manage to erase their acceleration achievements. Speaking of Ludicrous, Tesla’s Ludicrous Mode boosts power output by just 10 percent to accelerate from 0-100 kmph in under 3 seconds! That is, a fast supercar at half the price. This brain-twisting performance is attributed to the instantaneous torque from the electric motors in an EV instead of building up the power in an ICE car. This also means that your everyday electric car or motorcycle will benefit from faster acceleration from stop lights and smoother driving ability in traffic.
4. If I get stuck in traffic in my EV I will probably have to take a cab to return home
Unlike ICE cars, which reduce fuel on continuous use, electric vehicles manage energy better. Where your petrol or diesel car will use fuel continuously while driving slowly, stuck in traffic or with inefficient driving methods, an electric car not only manages power consumption but also regenerates it . Every time an EV brakes or slows down, kinetic energy is stored and given back to the battery, increasing its range. The auxiliary battery in an EV also ensures that you don’t skimp on basic amenities like a music system or air-conditioning when stuck in traffic and don’t worry about running out of primary battery.
5. Driving range in EV is always questionable
Using the latest technologies in energy management and electronic systems, an electric vehicle using today’s battery standards and construction is capable of delivering a driving range of 350 km, while some cars claim up to 500 km . According to some studies, even after waiving the claimed range, one can expect a range of 250 km on a single charge, which recent studies proved to be a week-long city commute for most of the users Is.
Most EV manufacturers will supply wall chargers that will take a few hours to charge the vehicle from your home to 100 percent. This not only reduces your dependency on the charging infrastructure in the city but also increases convenience. Simply put, if you sleep six hours a night, that’s enough time to charge or top-up your battery for most electric vehicles. As time and technology advance, more high-capacity public chargers will be available and charging times will be shorter. Even now, the 50kW Public Fast Charging Dock can charge your EV to 80 percent in less than 50 minutes, increasing your driving range and eliminating range worries.