The Electric Car Myth You Should Stop Believing

Because electric vehicles are still relatively new in the mainstream public consciousness, there are many misconceptions about them (via EPA). Some of these myths are negative, but others are extremely positive and provide additional reasons to purchase an electric vehicle.

These ideas about why EVs are either the future of transportation or an untrustworthy, short-term trend circulate, and unfortunately, many people do not conduct their own research and thus believe false information.

People generally mean well when discussing the characteristics of EVs, but these vehicles haven't been popular for very long at this point, so most people are still unaware. Here is one major factor to consider before purchasing an EV.

Owning an EV isn't necessarily cheaper

There is a widespread misconception that owning an electric vehicle is less expensive overall than owning a gasoline-powered vehicle. While this is partially true because EVs are less expensive to maintain, they are still more expensive to repair when they break down than their more traditional counterparts. 

People believe that overall ownership of an electric vehicle is less expensive because these vehicles have fewer moving parts and drivers do not need things like oil changes. On paper, this makes sense, but digging a little deeper reveals the truth.

When it comes to getting your electric vehicle repaired, keep in mind that most service centres are still learning the ropes. This means that even simple repairs typically take longer, and many mechanics charge labour costs by the hour.

According to We Predict, the cost of servicing an electric vehicle is approximately 2.3 times that of a car with an internal combustion engine (via CNET). In particular, the average cost of an EV was $306, while a gasoline-powered car cost only $189. It should be noted that, in addition to taking longer to repair, EV services are 1.3 times more expensive. There are numerous reasons to purchase an electric vehicle, but don't believe the myth that repairs are expensive.

Other factors to consider

While repair costs are one thing, the nature of the cost of operating an electric vehicle is quite another. This is especially true given that it is one of the primary reasons why people recommend EVs in the first place. The problem is that the savings are really only at the gas pump because EVs are currently more expensive to buy than gas-powered cars.