Most motorists with purely petrol and diesel cars know very little about electric vehicles. Well, it looks like their knowledge is actually quite abysmal, a new survey reveals. In this survey, the nonprofit group Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit has asked 10 questions related to EVs to 1,000 UK drivers of petrol and diesel cars to assess how much they know about electric vehicles. The results were unimpressive-more than half of these drivers got a paltry two or fewer questions right!

What’s Going Wrong? The survey was carried out for the ECIU by YouGov, and it shows that there is much confusion out there about EVs. In fact, the ECIU is concerned that people are being fed so much wrong information about EVs that they’re being put off from buying them. Colin Walker, head of transport at ECIU said: “All these myths being propagated about EVs is confusing drivers of petrol cars, and that’s why their knowledge about electric cars is so bad.”

The Walker thinks these myths are making people think that the ownership and running of EVs is more expensive than the cars that run on petrol. Whereas, actually, electric cars can be cheaper over their lifetimes. Walker said, “The constant stream of EV misinformation is clearly causing confusion, and holding many of the UK’s drivers back from making the switch to cleaner and cheaper electric driving.”

What Were the Questions?
It asked the participants to identify whether they believe 10 statements about EVs are true or false. These questions ran the gamut of topics: how much it costs to own and operate an electric vehicle, the likelihood of their catching on fire, and even natural resources required to build the vehicles.

But here’s the kicker-23% scored zero. That is to say that nearly a quarter of all the drivers surveyed failed to get one question correct. Also, 90% of those surveyed got no more than five questions correct. This is a testament to just how much misinformation is out there.

Why Is There So Much Misinformation?
There is much myth and misinformation floating around about EVs. Many people believe that EVs have a tendency to catch fire more than petrol cars, which is not true. Other misunderstandings are about charging an EV, which people find complicated, or that EVs cannot drive long distances without needing a charge. These are the kind of myths that get in the way of making people switch to electric cars over their traditional petrol cars.

Walker said, “The car industry is going to have to get serious about EV misinformation, and the new government will need to ask if it has a role to play too.”

What Do the Numbers Say?
Despite the confusion, many people are still buying electric cars. The SMMT said 37,741 new pure electric cars were registered for private buyers in the first seven months of this year. But that’s a 9.5% drop compared with the same period in 2023. This is despite the overall new car market growing 5.5% during the same period, thus while people are buying more cars, fewer of them are going electric.

Why Do People Still Doubt EVs?
The AA president, Edmund King, outlined that the few who make the switch to EVs barely regret such decisions. He said, “Once drivers get behind the wheel of an EV, they rarely look back when they realize that EVs are better in terms of economy, environment, and excitement.”

So, why the hesitation? It all goes back to the misinformation. Many drivers just don’t have the facts. They hear myths and rumors about electric cars, and they end up sticking with what they know-petrol and diesel cars.

What Needs to Happen Next?
The honest truth is that it’s now time, and if more people are going to switch over to electric vehicles, they need to know the real truth. The ECIU thinks that the car industry and the government need to get together in order to tackle the spread of such false information about EVs.

Busting Some Common Myths
Let’s set straight some of those commonly held myths regarding EVs:

Myth 1: EVs Are More Likely to Catch Fire
That is not true; studies have in fact proved that electric cars were less likely to catch fire compared to cars on petrol or diesel.

Myth 2: EVs Are Expensive to Run
Although the initial cost of purchasing an electric car may be higher, the general cost of owning can actually be lower. Savings on fuel and often lower maintenance costs mean that
People perceive driving ranges of modern EVs as being far shorter than they really are. Many earn more than 200 miles per charge, ample to cover the distance of most daily drives.

The Road Ahead
But there is still much work to do in order for people to understand that electric vehicles have their advantages. It’s all about the right information. The more education, clear facts, and misinformation that is taken on, the more this will go a long way toward giving drivers confidence in making the switch. People are much more likely to consider an electric car at the time of buying their next car if they are more informed.

Indeed, electric cars are not a fad but a reality. But for that reality to strike, drivers need to see past the myths and misunderstandings clouding their judgment today. It’s time for a clearer, cleaner, more electric future!