The Big Myth About Electric Cars You Need To Stop Believing

With electric cars still being fairly new in the mainstream public consciousness, there are still quite a few misconceptions regarding these vehicles (via EPA). Some of those myths are negative traits but others are super positive and offer more reasons to buy an electric vehicle. These ideas about why EVs are either the future of transportation or an unreliable, short-term trend get passed around, and unfortunately, many people fail to do their own research and thus believe false information.

False information is never a good thing, but it's especially harmful when it could lead to people purchasing an expensive electric vehicle for reasons that are untrue. For the most part, people mean well when discussing the characteristics of EVs, but again, these machines haven't been popular for all that long at this point so most people are still uninformed. Here's one major factor that needs to be considered before purchasing an EV.

There's a big myth that owning an electric vehicle is cheaper overall than what goes into owning a fuel-powered one. While there is some truth to this, as EVs are cheaper to maintain, these cars 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 cheaper because these cars feature fewer moving parts and because drivers don't need things such as oil changes. This makes sense on paper, but digging a little deeper reveals the truth of the matter.

When it comes to getting your electric vehicle repaired, it must be remembered that most service centers are still new to the process. This means that it typically takes longer to do even simple repairs, and many mechanics charge labor costs by the hour. According to research from We Predict, getting an electric vehicle serviced costs about 2.3 times the bill of a car with an internal combustion engine (via CNET). Specifically, average costs for an EV totaled $306 but a fuel-powered car averaged just $189. It should be noted that besides simply taking longer to repair, the services themselves are 1.3 times more expensive for an EV. There are many reasons to buy an electric vehicle, but don't believe the myth about repairs being cheaper if you own one — at least not yet. The report notes that as labor costs for EVs go down, the gap will be closed.

While repair costs are one thing, the very nature of the cost associated with operating an electric vehicle is another. This is especially true since that's one of the big reasons why people suggest EVs in the first place. The problem is that the savings are really only at the fuel pump because right now, EVs cost more to buy than gas-powered cars, on average.

This was determined by The Anderson Economic Group in a study released almost a year ago. In the study, the group looked at gas prices in Michigan and found that the cost to drive 100 miles in a fuel-powered car was somewhere between $8 and $10 (that study was based on fuel prices at the time). However, for an electric vehicle, that price starts at $12 and could go up to $15. Electric vehicles are truly great for many reasons, however, all potential buyers should thoroughly research before buying one based on figures they've heard.