Mythbusting the world of EVs: can we move forwards without arguing?

MYTH: “We must argue to progress”

If you say anything positive about an electric car, either online or in an actual human conversation, people often get surprisingly agitated, as if you’re ramming electric vehicles down their throats. They say “I couldn’t manage with an electric car", in a tone that implies, “So all electric cars are fundamentally a bad thing".

The purpose of this series of articles is to show that a lot of perceived objections to electric cars are actually myths. I believe electric cars are more suitable for more people than many people think. But to be clear I am definitely not saying they’re for everyone. So why the hostility?

If I turn up in a two-seat car, people don’t harrumph, “I have five kids so two-seaters are a thoroughly bad idea". Caravan owners don’t get riled up by the simple existence of superminis, it’s just that they buy for themselves something more capable of towing. When I review a petrol car with a 350-mile fuel tank, I don’t get comments saying “My diesel goes 800 miles, so all petrol cars are obviously a conspiracy against ordinary motorists".

Some cars suit some people and some suit others. Same with electric cars. They aren’t right for everyone. Yet. If you have nowhere to charge, or you frequently have to drive 400 miles without any stops at all, or need a sub-£6,000 secondhand car, that rules you out of an EV. But they’re good for many other folk, so let’s not get upset about it, eh?