"The data show that cars with internal combustion engines were not clean in the past, are not clean today, and will not be clean in the foreseeable future. The auto industry will always find new ways to circumvent tests and optimize results. The only way to ensure cars are truly clean is to accelerate the shift to zero-emission technology and electromobility."

Florent Grelier, Clean Vehicle Engineer, Transport & Environment

Nine Myths About EVs

It must be understood that there are very powerful industries who hate EVs, because the more EVs that are sold, the less profits these industries make. So they will do everything they can to convince people not to buy an EV, and they are not above distorting facts and lying. And when the oil industry creates a "front" organization with a name like Californians for Balanced Energy Solutions, you wouldn't think the oil industry is behind it. So when this organization that appears to care about the environment says things about EVs that would have you believe that EVs are actually bad for the environment, don't be fooled. And since these industries give lots of money to TV networks, you will likely hear only anti-EV reporting, so don't rely on the mainstream media for any truthful EV info. The fact is, you'll get more honest info from this page and those like it than you will from the corporate news media. (And you also will hear the following falsehoods from people who've been taken in by the lies.)

1. Since some EVs charge using electricity from coal-fired power plants, they just move the same amount of pollution and CO2 emissions from the tailpipes to the smoke stack

False, as mentioned above in the Q&A.

2. EV batteries will need replacing after 3-5 years

False. If you buy a new EV today, odds are the battery pack will last as long as you own the vehicle. Yes, as the pack ages, it will lose some capacity, which translates into some lost range, but only a small amount. And the "healthier" you charge the battery pack, the less capacity it will lose over time, and Tesla EVs do this for you automatically. Do the other EV makers? No. Why? They will make money from replacing your EV battery, and they have a "profits over people" business model. With Tesla, people come first. Refreshing, isn't it!

3. If everyone had EVs, we'd overload the energy grid

False. As EVs increase, the energy needed to refine crude oil into gasoline decreases, and our energy grid's capacity increases thanks to the addition of solar arrays. Plus, when charged at home overnight, EVs use the underutilized capacity of energy generation plants (called "off-peak charging"). Tesla EVs can be set to start charging, not when you plug them in, but when your off-peak rates start (typically around 9-11pm). A report just out shows that power plant profits vs costs for EV charging is very high on the profits side because EVs tend to use the underutilized capacity of the grid because they charge at night (when rates are less expensive). So, some nice revenue for the power utilities that wasn't there before, and without them having to increase their generating capacity... but they are increasing their capacity because some EVs will charge during the daytime. (And utility companies have been planning for the increase in EV adoption for many years, just like they did for window air conditioners when they were first planned.)

4. There's no demand for EVs

False. Yes, when people believe untrue things about EVs, they are understandably wary of them, but when they discover the truth about EVs, and about how some EVs are less expensive to operate and maintain than a comparable gas-powered car, and then they drive an EV, they are won over easily. Happens every day. That's why there are five million Teslas on the roads today (Tesla doesn't do any advertising), and why so many more EVs will be sold as battery costs decline further, reducing the retail price of the car (already happening). So, demand for well-made and affordable EVs will be increasing. But it is true that there is no demand for a $68,000 Cadillac Lyriq EV or an $80,000 Polestar 3 EV, or for the cheaply made EVs from VW and GM. So when these other automakers say "We're slowing our EV production plans because the demand for EVs is sluggish" they mean there's low demand for their EVs. But there is demand for EVs, like the ones made by Tesla (and their sales are increasing).

5. EV's are less reliable than gasoline-powered cars

False. And ridiculous on its face. EVs have no engines, no transmissions, no exhaust systems, no high pressure cooling systems, no belts to break, no fuel filters to clog, no fuel injectors or spark plugs to foul, etc, etc. Let's look at golf carts as a perfect example: There are gasoline-powered golf carts and electric golf carts. They look the same on the outside, and they've both been around for a long time, and it's common knowledge in the golf cart industry that the electric carts are far more reliable than the gasoline-powered carts.

6. EVs weigh 30-50% more than gas-powered cars

False. The thought is that this additional weight would cause more damage to bridges and roadways and "who's going to pay for that!" But this is not true: FACT: Tesla Model 3 EV curb weight = 4,065 pounds. BMW 3 Series gas car curb weight = 4,138 pounds. And according to JD Power, the average weight of a gas-powered car in 2022 was 4,094 pounds. Remember, two of the heaviest components of an internal combustion engine vehicle are the engine and transmission, and an EV doesn't have either of these, and its electric motor can be lifted by any reasonably in-shape adult. Yes, an EV has a heavy battery pack, but that weight is countered by the loss of the weight of the engine and transmission (and as battery pack chemistries improve, their weight can improve too).

7. EVs catch on fire too much

False. It only appears that way. Who's responsible for this overblown depiction of EV fires? Those who are charged with spreading FUD about EVs (Fear Uncertainty Doubt), and they do this on behalf of those who stand to lose a lot of money as EV adoption grows. But yes, some EVs catch fire, but this is due to an accident where there is damage to the battery pack, and when this happens there is usually a fire, but no explosion as there can be with gasoline cars, so people easily survive slow-to-start EV fires. And EV fires can also happen because the EV manufacturer bought batteries from the lowest bidder instead of buying the more expensive well engineered batteries, so there have been spontaneous combustion fires that have burned down people's homes. But only a few. And you can bet that this EV manufacturer (and others) learned their lesson. So, let's put things in perspective... there are way more gasoline car fires than EV fires as a percentage of total sales (which is the correct way to look at this issue, not how many fires are given media attention).

8. EVs cost more to fuel than gasoline cars

False. Since electric motors are more energy efficient than gasoline engines, and since electricity per unit of energy costs less than gasoline's, this oil industry disinformation (disinformation because they know it's BS) falls flat.

9. "I've heard that you can't take an EV through a car wash because water and electricity don't mix."

False. And ridiculous. Gas-powered cars have lots of electrical wiring and electrical components, and they can go through a car wash. And would an automaker design a car that couldn't go through a car wash? This myth is ridiculous on its face. But it did make me laugh when I heard it. And consider that a Tesla EV has "Car Wash Mode" where you press a button as your car is about to enter the car wash room, and all the windows roll up, the automatic windshield wipers are disabled, the proximity alert chimes are disabled, the charge port door is locked, and the car shifts into Neutral so the car wash mechanism can move the car through. So I guess this feature proves that an EV can go through a car wash.

A screen capture from a Tesla EV

Lies and Negative Comments About EVs

1. "When there is a power outage, EVs can't recharge."

True, but gasoline pumps require electricity to pump, so you can't "fill up" your gasoline-powered car during a power outage. And if your EV is charged, it can recharge your phones, and run some things in your home if the EV has a 120 volt outlet. And if you have a generator at home, you can refuel your EV at home. Can't do that with a gasoline car. And gas stations often run out of gas during natural disasters. Just say'n. (Note: During gasoline shortages in Georgia USA and the UK, Tesla EVs were driving around just fine.)

2. "EVs are demand limited, i.e., there is no demand for them other than the early adopters who love new gadgets."

False. EVs are production limited. As fast as they are made, they are bought... at least the better designed ones like Teslas. When people discover that a Tesla is way better than a Chevy Bolt, Bolt sales go down, but not because there is no demand for EVs. Tesla has more orders than they can fill. And as more people discover the truth about EVs, demand will rise even further (but so will production capacity). Due to the economies-of-scale, as the costs of making them come down, the prices can come down, creating increased sales.

3. "EVs are only for the affluent."

False. When you factor the sticker price of an EV into the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO, which includes operation and maintenance), an EV is a better deal financially than a gasoline car over the ownership life of the vehicle. And thanks to Tesla, we're now at price parity between gasoline cars and EVs (selling price). At this point, now it's a no-brainer to buy an EV over a gasoline car. But true, when Tesla sold its first EVs, they were $160,000. But they had to do that to raise the capital needed to make their Phase 2 cars that sold for $90,000, and they did that so they could ramp up to make their Phase 3 $35,000-$45,000 cars, and next up is their Phase 4 $25,000 car coming end of 2024. This is the only business model that works. And other EV makers are now following it (or at least trying to). And consider that the average sales price for a new car in the U.S. is $48,000, and Tesla already has two models that are below that (and consider that an EV is less expensive to fuel and maintain than a gas-powered car).

The US average price is for all cars, not just for EVs

4. "There's no charging infrastructure for EVs" / "EVs can't do roadtrips."

False. There are plenty of public charging stations, and Tesla has its own network of charging stations. And more of them are being built all time to keep up with their increasing EV sales. And unlike a gasoline car, EVs can "fill up" at home and at many work-places. In fact, about 95% of charging is done at home. And Tesla owners have no issues doing long road trips. Other EVs can have issues because of the poor quality of the third-party charging companies, but Tesla is letting other EVs charge at 15,000 of their chargers. So while "range anxiety" was once an issue, it isn't anymore. But it is part of the oil industry narrative.

5. "EVs are just glorified golf carts."

Seriously?! Anyone who has ever driven in one would never say this. In fact, EVs have better technology and are more reliable than gasoline cars... and safer too.

6. "Since EVs are silent, there will be more pedestrians hit by EVs."

First, this possibility is not a reason to not have EVs on the roads. I was taught as a child to look both ways before crossing a street. Do we as a society try to make society as safe as possible? Sure! And replacing all gas powered cars with EVs will make us safer (no street level pollution which causes lots of premature deaths, and less negative climate change impacts), even though there may be more pedestrian deaths due to people not looking both ways before crossing a street. And surely governments can broadcast Public Service Announcements alerting the public to the existence of these very quiet cars, or they can enact regulations that all EVs make some kind of noise at low speeds (already done). And consider that most gasoline cars today are very quiet at low speeds. So this ridiculous oil industry talking-point is not appreciated by rational-thinking people.

7. "EV manufacturing is less green than the manufacturing of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles."

False. When you take a cradle-to-grave look at the two types of cars, you will find that EVs, on balance, are greener. And as their source of energy gets greener (their recharging electricity), the EV gets even greener (because of power utilities adding renewable energy sources to their production mix). And although some EV makers have a manufacturing process that is less green than ICE vehicle makers, some EV makers have a greener manufacturing process, like Tesla. Note that there is an "environmental payback" with EVs. Now, after 1,000 miles driven, the car is less damaging to the environment than gasoline cars for the remainder of their miles driven (which can be about 500,000 miles if it's a Tesla). And as manufacturing processes improve (as far as their impact on the environment), that 1,000 miles will soon come down.

8. "All EV batteries require mining for the rare earth elements they use, and this mining exploits young children and harms the environment."

False. Cobalt is the material in question, and Tesla's newest battery technology doesn't even use cobalt. And if theirs doesn't, no other EV maker need use it in all their batteries. And unlike gasoline, EV batteries can be recycled back into new batteries. There are already companies doing this. Elon Musk CEO of Tesla estimates that in the future, there will be very little mining of anything needed because of the robust recycling industry. And circulating the "young children" meme was courtesy of the oil industry. Seems they have a lot to lose as more EVs are sold versus fossil fuel cars, so they'll say anything to slow that growth. I'm not saying that such deplorable and exploitative mining practices don't exist; they do, and it's beyond shameful. But those who bring this up don't also mention that there is also responsibly mined cobalt, and Tesla makes sure to source any cobalt they do use from such places. The company pays more for such cobalt, but obviously it's the right thing to do, and that's what Tesla does. Do car companies that are laser-focused on profit do this? I have to wonder. At the annual shareholder meeting, Musk pledged to put cameras at the mines that supply Tesla with any cobalt, with the video feed viewable online.

And as far as mining being bad for the environment; compared to how bad fossil fueled vehicles are for the environment, and how bad crude oil refining (into gasoline) is for the environment, it's no contest. It's a night and day difference. Did you know that cobalt is used by the oil industry to remove sulfur from crude oil when refining it into gasoline? Where are they getting their cobalt from?

The fact is, transitioning to clean energy will mean we no longer have to mine and extract vast quantities of fossil fuels each year, and a clean energy transition will help us and future generations avoid the worst effects of climate change; it will save millions of lives currently lost to air pollution each year; and it will reduce the total amount of environmentally and socially harmful mining each year. So the above statement is simply another attempt to slow the demand for EVs so as to slow the profit loss of some very powerful industries. And quite frankly, if someone is not going to buy an EV because there might be irresponsibly mined cobalt in the battery, then they would have to give up their cellphone and laptop or tablet and not buy anymore gasoline. How about making the "source of cobalt" an EV buying decision, and in that case, Tesla wins.

EDITORIAL COMMENT ABOUT THE EV LIES

Those automotive industry analysts who go on mainstream financial business shows and knowingly say lies about EVs and Tesla and give disinformation about them should be charged with crimes against the people, and put in prison for at least five years. Why? Tesla is trying to help the world's population by dramatically lowering CO2 emissions and air pollutants, and these so-called analysts are trying to harm Tesla on behalf of short-sellers, Big Auto, the American Automobile Dealers Association, and Big Oil. And the more success they have, the more harm is done to the environment, and therefore to the people. I'd say that they should be ashamed of themselves, but they don't have the capacity to be ashamed of themselves, nor the capacity to care about anyone other than themselves... it's all about money and personal gain... as it is with those above-named entities. You can strike a blow for the people and give a middle finger to those above-named folks by getting an EV.

What motivated people to buy an EV?
The main reasons

From that above survey...

72%  Fuel economy / cost per mile
63%  Higher reliability of an EV
44%  I can charge at home
36%  Reduced environmental impact
30%  Lower overall maintenance cost
25%  Driving experience
17%  I can charge at my workplace

Note: Oddly "safety" wasn't a choice on that survey. But if it was, and people felt that safety was a high priority, then it's good to know that the safest cars in the world are EVs, and the safest EVs are Teslas.

In another EV survey, the majority of participants said that when choosing among EV models, overall price, safety, and battery range were the key criteria, in that order. (Personally, I'd place safety first, but that's me.) But the good news is that for all those three key criteria, Tesla EVs are in first place... best TCO (total cost of ownership), best battery range (and best ability to charge at public stations), and best in safety. And these "bests" are not opinions; they are facts.

"But cars that drive themselves
will end up killing some people!"

Self-driving cars are coming (actually, they're here). Technology, brilliant engineers, and tons of driving data make this possible. Self-driving cars are safer than human drivers. Why? They can see in 6 different directions simultaneously (which means they never take their eyes off the road), they can't fall asleep, they can't be distracted, they have better night vision than humans, and their reaction time is way better than any human's. And they've already saved lives (about 14,000 Tesla EVs are driving around in the U.S. under computer control, and that would not be allowed if the regulatory agencies deemed them to be unsafe).

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla (an EV manufacturer) was asked about any fatalities that would be caused by a Tesla self-driving car. He said...

"Even if all the Teslas in autonomous driving mode cut auto accident fatalities by 90%, the 10% that were the result of the computer making a mistake, you're still going to be sued. Those 90% that are alive because of the computer doing the driving don't even know they're alive because of it. So even though we'll be sued, it's more important to save those lives ... the reality of doing the right thing matters more than the perception of doing the right thing."

So Musk created autonomous driving software to save lives, not to make profit, as many of the other developers of autonomous driving systems are doing. Motivations matter. And this I think is the main reason to give money to Tesla versus other EV makers when you buy an EV. But this reason never gets discussed when comparing EVs from different manufacturers; range, battery life, features, and options get talked about, but not the motivations of the company that you're going to give a huge amount of money to.

A new car is the second largest purchase most people will ever make. Me? I care who I give that kind of money to. Tesla's mission statement: "Accelerate the adoption of sustainable energy technology." All the legacy automakers' unwritten mission statements: Maximize profits.

What you're seeing in the above photo is the "mind" of the computer. It's what the computer is seeing put into a form that we can recognize when we see it on the dashboard's screen. It shows us that, yes, the computer is seeing the traffic lights. And notice, the computer can see if the cars' brake lights are on. Why can it do this? Because it means something to the computer when a car in front of it hits their brakes, just like it does for us (assuming we're paying attention).

The red car represents the Tesla self-driving car.

The media lies about EVs

This is from a recent article in Car & Driver. Keep in mind that at this time, most EVs have a minimum of 240 miles of range, some reaching 400. The Tesla with the lowest range goes 272 miles.

Why do they lie? Money. Their major advertisers are the legacy auto manufacturers, so Car & Driver (and other such publications) wants to keep them happy, and the legacy auto makers hate EVs and hate Tesla (for forcing them to start making EVs). Legacy automakers want to sell what they've been selling... fossil fuel cars. So they want to keep EV sales as low as possible, so they do their best to talk down EVs, and the media is happy to help.

So don't believe what you read in mainstream media outlets about EVs, because they can't be trusted to do truthful reporting.