Myth #1: EVs only have a short driving range
In the early days of EVs, range anxiety was a common concern. These days most EVs can comfortably travel 200km, with newer versions able to travel 400km on a single charge. Given the average Australian drives around 40km per day**, this is plenty of range to allow for a top up charge at home or a full charge once a week.
More and more public charging stations are coming online across the country, including in Queensland where Yurika has been working with the Queensland Government to build the world’s longest EV Super Highway in a single state. By mid-2023 there will be 55 public fast charging stations across Queensland, with more public chargers popping up across the country (see the PlugShare app for locations).
Myth #2: EV batteries don’t last
EVs haven’t been around for as long as the internal combustion engine (ICE) so the concern about the lifespan of EV batteries is understandable. Notably, a recently traded Tesla Model X with over 640,000kms on the odometer – including the original battery, saw a breakdown of the maintenance log and a balanced review of the long-term maintenance requirements for the vehicle.
Although most EV batteries are built to last up to 20 years at peak performance, like anything, they do have a shelf life. EV manufacturers tend to offer separate warranties for the cars, with a warranty for batteries between 3 to 8 years. For example, Tesla, Hyundai Ioniq, BMW i series, Mazda MX-30 e35 (and many more!) all have a battery warranty for 8 years.
Myth #3: EVs batteries can’t be recycled
The components within EV batteries are largely recyclable, consisting of materials like nickel, lithium and cobalt. While it’s true there is room for improvement to make EV battery recycling and repurposing more commonplace, it can be done, and companies like EcoBatt and Envirostream in Australia are active in this space.
Entire EV batteries are being repurposed for other vehicle, home and industrial power storage, as such Audi, who repurpose their EV batteries for factory forklifts.
Myth #4: EVs take a long time to charge
There are a few factors that affect charging times for your EV:
- battery size/capacity
- a partial or full charge
- the charging rate of your EV (the maximum your car can accept)
- the rate of the charging station
- in cold weather it can take slightly longer to charge.
Depending on these factors, it could take as little as 8 minutes or as long as 10 hours to charge your EV. This blog provides a detailed view.
Importantly, charging your EV takes a shift in thinking about how you ‘refuel’. Most people will still charge their EV at home, and it is better to ‘top up’ your EV like you do a mobile phone rather than leave the battery to entirely discharge.
The increasing availability of public fast chargers, like those found along the Queensland Electric Super Highway, will be important in increasing options for EV drivers to travel further from home.
These public You can generally charge your EV at a much faster rate at these charging stations than you could at home. The rate of charge can vary from 25kW to 350kW DC, allowing you to charge your EV from low to full in as little as 30 minutes. However, the maximum rate of charge will be determined by your EV’s capability.