8 Myths about Electric Vehicles
1. MYTH: Electric Vehicles don’t have enough range. You’ll end up stranded when you run out of electricity.
BUSTED: Put your hitch hiking thumb down. Most new EVs have a range of at least 80 miles; more than double what a typical American drives in a day.
2. MYTH: EVs just replace the tailpipe with a smokestack
BUSTED: Even today, with 52 percent of U.S. electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, plug-in cars reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and most other pollutants compared with conventional gas or hybrid vehicles. Plug-ins can run on renewable electricity from sources such as the sun or wind. PHEVs will reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions, even if the source of electricity is mostly coal.
3. MYTH: My electricity bill will skyrocket
BUSTED: Flip the switch. While you'll spend more on electricity, the savings on gas will more than cover it. If you drive a pure battery electric vehicle 12,000 miles a year at current electricity rates (assuming $.12 per kilowatt hour though rates vary throughout the country), you'll pay about $389 per year for the electricity to charge your battery, but you'll save about $1200 in gas (assuming $3 per gallon, a 30 miles per gallon vehicle, and 12,000 miles driven). So $1200 minus $389 equals $811 in savings, a 68% reduction in fueling costs! That’s 162 $5.00 Little Caesar’s Hot and Ready pizzas or 1638 Jack in the Box tacos. Some utilities are even offering EV owners lower off-peak rates. The more we successfully advocate for these off-peak incentives, the lower your electricity payments will go.
4. MYTH: Lithium batteries are dangerous and can explode
BUSTED: Take the bomb suit off and come out from hiding. Safety concerns are related primarily to the older cobalt-based lithium ion cells used for portable electronics, which have since been improved upon. Epic vehicles are fitted with Flux Power Safe Lithium Ion batteries. Lithium is an established, proven, and safe battery technology with enormous performance and environmental advantages over conventional lead-acid batteries.
5. MYTH: Plug-in hybrids are the best solution.
BUSTED: Time to slim down. Carrying around the extra weight and cost of two powertrains makes little sense. As plug-in hybrids get bigger and heavier, they need more batteries and stronger gas or diesel-powered engines. It becomes a 'vicious circle' of more cost and more weight to achieve acceptable range and performance.
6. MYTH: EVs take too long to charge.
BUSTED: Dreams do come true. The most convenient place and time to charge is at home while you sleep. Even using the slowest 120-volt outlet, the car can be left to charge overnight. Most new BEVs and PHEVs will charge from 240-volt outlets providing double or triple the charge in the same amount of time. Grocery stores, employers such as Google, and shopping malls are starting to install EV charging stations. These not only guarantee a charged vehicle but also a front row parking spot.
7. MYTH: Most of us will still be driving gas cars through 2050.
BUSTED: Remember the Jetsons? Driving us toward EVs are ever-toughening federal fuel economy standards and state caps on greenhouse gas emissions, projected price hikes for petroleum products as demand increases and supply drops, broad agreement over the need for America to reduce its reliance on petroleum, and climate change. These changes are occurring faster than previously thought, according to the journal of Science and many other sources.
8. MYTH: Electric cars are boring and handle like roller skates.
BUSTED: Ditch what you know about electric cars. The days of grocery getters, poor performance and skinny tires have been replaced. Epic EV re-defines what is possible. Uncompromising performance, safety technologies, perfectly balanced handling and aggressive styling.
