Dispelling the Myths of EV
What are some of the reasons people have doubts about Electric Vehicles?
Are electric vehicles really better for the environment?
There has been some debate that although electric vehicles don’t produce tailpipe pollution, they do create more pollution or climate impact because of the battery manufacturing. Because batteries require mining lithium, cobalt, and copper which requires transportation to be manufactured, the initial climate pollution of an electric vehicle is more than manufacturing a gas-powered vehicle to start. However, once the electric vehicle hits the road, the reduction in tailpipe emissions outweighs the initial pollution caused by the battery manufacturing and in the long run is far better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles.
What is the range of an electric vehicle? In other words how far can the vehicle go before needing another charge?
The average electric vehicle has a range of 348 km. Range capacity continues to increase as batteries are becoming less expensive and more powerful. Currently, the Lucid Air, has the highest range with 830km.
Why are electric vehicles more expensive than gas powered cars?
Batteries are the most expensive component of an EV. However, battery prices continue to fall and because of this, EVs are expected to land at the same price point as gas powered vehicles by 2026.
Will electric cars last longer than gas-powered cars?
When it comes down to strictly numbers of kilometers and years, an electric vehicle should outlast a gas-powered vehicle. With regular use, the average lifespan of a gas vehicle is on average about 241,000 kms or 8 years, where an electric vehicle is expected to last up to 322,000km or about 12 years.
Do electric vehicles sometimes catch fire?
There is a 0.0012% change of an electric vehicle battery catching fire, compared with a 0.1% chance for an internal combustion engine to catch fire.
How much will owning an electric vehicle save in money over the lifetime of the vehicle?
This depends on many, many factors but it is estimated that an electric vehicle – on average will save between $6,000- $18,000 over the lifetime of the vehicle.
Why is Canada phasing out gas-powered vehicles for electric vehicles?
Canada signed the Paris Accord Agreement along with 196 other parties to be net zero by 2050 and to cut GHG emissions by 50% by the year 2030. The adoption of electric vehicles will assist in reaching this goal. This means brand-new, gas-powered vehicles will not be sold after 2035.