When carmakers introduce new product lines for the coming year, rumors pop up. Since EV charging technology is so new, EVs often bear the brunt of many of these rumors.
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To debunk those myths, we’ve busted the top five to help EV charging companies ease their customers’ fears about keeping their EVs or purchasing a new one. Let’s defuse some of the more popular EV charging myths circulating around the internet over the past few months.
Myth 1: EVs Cost a Fortune to Charge
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Some of your prospective customers might have shied away from buying an EV because they believed the myth that charging an EV would be costly. Even though they might pay a bit more per mile than EV owners paid last year to charge your car, it still beats the hefty fuel costs they’ll pay at the pump for gas- or diesel-fueled vehicles. Turns out, EVs can actually save you thousands at the pump.
Here are some facts about EV charging costs that can change your customers’ minds the next time they want to buy a new car. As a Sunpower post points out, the average cost per mile to charge an EV is about 5 cents. You’ll pay about 15 cents per mile to charge a gas-powered car — three times the cost. If you drive a vehicle with a diesel engine, you’ll shell out even more.
Over a year’s time, the costs are even more significant. If you drive a gasoline-powered car, you’ll pay about $2,025 per year in fuel costs alone. Contrast that with the $675 you’ll pay to fuel your EV, and you’ll save a whopping $1,350 in only a year. Those savings alone should make drivers think twice before they put a down payment on a gas guzzler.
Myth 2: EV Charging Will Strain the Nation’s Electrical Grid
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The myth that EV charging will make impossible demands on the nation’s electrical grid — seems to make the rounds every year. However, this year, data proves that the opposite is true.
As a recent Driivz post pointed out, EV batteries now have the capability to feed back their energy into the grid through a process called vehicle-grid integration (VGI). This process — an advancement in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology — goes beyond V2G applications.
VGI’s comprehensive approach “leverage[s] technologies, policies, and strategies” to optimize EV charging and discharging to benefit drivers and the local grid. It can even set time and power limits to avoid grid overloads while getting drivers to their destinations without range anxiety.
In Europe, both passenger and commercial drivers have already realized the benefits of this technology, a Driivz report found. The key to success, the report concluded, is a close working relationship among all stakeholder parties — energy providers, EV charging infrastructure companies, and drivers. With such a partnership, EVs can benefit their communities by providing the energy they need during peak usage times.
Myth 3: It’s a Pain to Find Access to a Compatible EV Charger
When EVs first entered the mainstream, drivers experienced frustration about their limited EV charging options. Add to that the stress they felt when they pulled up to a station with a compatible charger, only to discover the equipment was down. One can see at a glance why EV adoption has been slower than expected.
But that’s not the case these days. Yet another myth bites the dust. Most EVs can now access most chargers using adapters. Here’s why:
Tesla’s recent move to accommodate EVs from most major US brands with its robust Supercharger network using adapters has changed the playing field for even non-Tesla EV owners. Having a standardized, dependable network to draw on should open up the EV playing field to more drivers, especially as combustible fuel prices rise.
Myth 4: EV Charging Is a Major Time-Suck
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You’ve undoubtedly heard all the objections potential customers raise about how long it takes to charge an EV as they bypass your chargers to fuel their gas-guzzlers. However, if they spent even a few minutes watching your happy customers relax as their cars soak in all that cheap energy you provide them, they’d know that the rumors they’ve heard are, as the saying goes, “fake news.” Just another myth to bust.
To turn these prospective customers into satisfied EV owners, you need to fight back with facts. You could use a roadside sign comparing the cost of charging an EV versus fueling a combustion engine-powered car. Or maybe advertise a fast-food meal deal at a discount while their car charges at one of your lightning-fast DC fast chargers. It only takes a little effort to win over reluctant drivers; here are some quick facts to cite:
- Level 1 chargers: While overnight charging from a wall outlet at home can provide 40 miles of range, it won’t do for long-range travel. However, you’re not spending extra time for that little boost — you’ll be sleeping.
- Level 2 chargers: These chargers — the kind you’ll see at your workplace or shopping mall — can provide 25 miles of range for every hour you park. You won’t waste a second since you’ll be either working or shopping. And with more and more businesses adding EV chargers to their amenities, they are easier to find than ever — no more driving all over town to find them.
- Level 3 chargers: With today’s technology, a DC fast charger can get drivers back on the road with 80% of their range in as little as 20 minutes to one hour, depending on the vehicle. Although they have a way to go before fast chargers equal a gas pump’s fueling time, they give drivers space for well-needed breaks on long trips. And if charging technology progresses at its current speed, newer, faster ways to charge will soon be on the horizon.
Myth 5: Installing EV Chargers Will Break the Bank
If you own a business and have thought about installing EV chargers to give your customers yet another reason to patronize your company, you’ve probably faced a few naysayers. No doubt they’ve flung the old “Installing EV chargers costs so much that you’ll never recoup your investment” myth at you.
But here’s the truth. Like any other emerging technology, EV charging has become cheaper to install and yields greater revenue with every passing year. And with private and public funding available to offset the costs, it’s a no-brainer for businesses of every kind to install EV charging stations on their properties.
Yes, even gas stations. Especially gas stations. There’s nothing like capturing all the traffic going down the highway — not just the gas- and diesel-powered ones. Once customers stop for a charge, gas station owners can sell them snacks, beverages, or even quick meals at the restaurant attached to their convenience store.
Learn How to Push Back Against the Myths at the EV Charging Summit & Expo
If you’re in an area where EV charging myths run rampant, the EV Charging Summit team can help. Our events feature some of the world’s top EV marketing and public relations experts who can help your EV charging business reach at least some of the holdouts in your area.
Tear down the myths and build your EV charging company with advice from the industry’s finest minds. Reserve your spot at the next EV Charging Summit event today!
