The global market for electric cars is increasing significantly every year. Despite this, there are still individuals who cling on to outdated facts about the viability of electric cars in 2015. Whether they genuinely believe them or they’re just afraid of change, we’re not sure, but here are three of the most common eco myths debunked.
They’re Too Expensive
This is a great example of an out of date fact. While it’s true that, initially, used hybrids didn’t hold their value as well as their gas-powered equivalents, as the technology that makes hybrid and electric cars unique has matured we’ve seen the gap substantially close. The lithium-ion batteries used to power the vehicles, for instance, now have a much longer life cycle. In fact, now many hybrids lead the charge in holding resale value. While some of this is due to sheer practicality—there are often a lot less of them produced compared to their gas-guzzling counterparts—their other qualities often make them attractive even on the used market.
There’s Nowhere to Charge Them
If electric vehicles are to become a nationwide, or global, mode of transportation, ensuring there are enough charging stations for everybody to use is a serious issue. Thankfully, manufacturers realise this and are making a continued effort to improve this area. There are currently 34,366 public alternative fuelling stations in the United States. That is split between 9,635 stations and 24,731 charging outlets. For the sake of comparison, there are 11,000 chains of Starbucks and 14,350 McDonalds restaurants in the country. Of course, when you aren’t actually looking for one, they’re easy to miss. But finding out how many charging stations are in your area is easy, either through a web search or by downloading an app to your smartphone.
The Charge Cycle Is Too Short
Range anxiety is another subject that those new to plug-in electric vehicles are understandably worried about. While exact figures change on a per vehicle basis, you can typically expect to be able to drive between 80-120 miles on a single charge. In fact, with a premium Tesla Model S, you can even go over 250 and the company is pushing to double that in the near future. According to recent surveys, that’s more than enough for the majority of daily commuters. Even if you’re are in the lower percentile that has to endure a longer commute, if there’s a charging station on your premises you may be able to charge in while you’re working and have plenty of juice left for the return trip home.
Electric vehicles aren’t perfect and, at the moment, they aren’t for everybody. It’s a continuing process, though, and they will continue to improve over the coming years. To ignore the basic facts surrounding them does a disservice to all of the individuals working hard on the technology behind them.
Article Submitted By Community Writer