Myths around EVs
Debunking some of the most common myths and misconceptions
Being used to owning, driving and travelling in conventional internal combustion or fossil fuel powered cars, we have become accustomed to their workings. With that comes some amount of trouble shooting in the event of a malfunction and in the century of their existence, we’ve also become accustomed to working our way around these issues. In contrast, mainstream application of electric vehicles is still a fairly new concept thus it’s only natural to face a number of apprehensions adopting and adapting to this new tech. But are these doubts pure facts that we should be worried about or mere fiction that our overly critical minds have conjured over time? The subject beckons delving deeper.
1. ELECTRIC VEHICLES CAN’T WADE WATER, THERE’S ALWAYS A RISK OF ELECTROCUTION
The truth couldn’t be far off from this myth. A vehicle is designed to be operated in a variety of conditions and needless to say that they will inevitably be exposed to weather that’ll include extremes of temperatures and moisture levels.
A conventional car or a motorcycle is expected to operate in these extremes and do so on a daily basis so an electric car or two-wheeler shouldn’t be expected to be any different. Take for example, the MG ZS EV, a more affordable electric car that has been steadily gaining popularity over the past couple of years or so of it being retailed in India. MG claims that the battery is IP67 rated which translates to dust
and water resistance and the packaging of it can ensure that it can remain submerged in 1m of water for 30 minutes. That is of course theoretical but in reality, modern electric vehicles operate flawlessly in the floods during monsoons and have ample water ingress protection. Moreover, the charging apparatus is also weatherproof thus negating any dangers of charging or operating these vehicles in the rain.
2. ELECTRIC VEHICLES COME WITH A HIGH PRICE TAG AND EVEN HIGHER MAINTENANCE OR OWNERSHIP COSTS
While the initial investment on an electric vehicle today would be higher than a comparatively sized, conventional, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, attributing to newer technology and higher costs of production; the latter half of the above point in question is actually what deflects the added numbers on the price tag of an EV. Electric vehicles don’t have an engine or a gearbox for that matter. This in itself eliminates a plethora of moving parts and components that are subject to wearing out or failing with use over a period of time. This is precisely why manufacturers would recommend major service intervals when these parts need replacement and that’s a time that your credit card bill touches a new high. Alternatively, an electric vehicle uses sealed motors and a single-speed transmission to propel the car and these use substantially fewer moving parts. So apart from the regular brake pads, tyres and occasional suspension repair and replacement you’re not looking at maintenance bills with oil changes, spark plug changes and timing belts or piston and crankshafts as an ICE ages. What’s more, performance updates, if any, are offered over-the-air for most electric vehicles thus further reducing trips to the service station while battery replacements are usually scheduled after 10-15 years from purchase. This is apart from government benefits that
MG CLAIMS THAT THE BATTERY IS IP67 RATED WHICH TRANSLATES TO WATER RESISTANCE AND THE PACKAGING OF IT CAN ENSURE THAT IT CAN BE SUBMERGED IN 1M DEEP WATER FOR 30 MINUTES