12 myths about electric vehicles and 4 New Year's resolutions, too

Everything you thought you knew about plug-in hybrids and battery cars is probably wrong.

Wed, Dec 23 2009 at 4:59 PM EST

SUN POWER: This EV is recharging from Red Hook, Brooklyn, solar panels, not a coal plant. (Photo: Beautiful Earth)

I’ll keep you in suspense about my New Year’s resolutions, but a group called EcoCAR, which is working with young university-based engineers on a contest to design the green ride of the future, has got a few. And combined with Plug-In America’s "Top 12 EV Myths," it makes a lot to ponder as we end a fraught 2009.

First, an abridged version of Zan Dubin Scott’s 12 Myths:

1. EVs don’t have enough range. You'll be stranded when you run out of electricity.

FACT: Americans drive an average of 40 miles per day, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Most new battery electrics have a range of at least double that and can be charged at any ordinary electrical outlet (120V) or publicly accessible station with a faster charger. At present, all it takes is planning for EV owners, who can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge, to use their cars on heavy travel days.

2. EVs are good for short city trips only.

FACT: Consumers have owned and driven EVs for seven years or more and regularly use them for trips of up to 120 miles.

3. EVs just replace the tailpipe with a smokestack.

FACT: Even today, with 52 percent of U.S. electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, plug-in cars reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and most other pollutants compared with conventional gas or hybrid vehicles. Plug-ins can run on renewable electricity from sources such as the sun or wind. Plug-in hybrids will reduce greenhouse gases and other emissions, even if the source of electricity is mostly coal, a 2007 study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and NRDC showed.

4. The charging stations must be built before people will adopt EVs.

FACT: Most charging will be done at home, so public charging isn’t a necessity. And at least seven companies are competing to dominate the public-charging-station market and a trade group representing the nation’s electric utilities has pledged to “aggressively” create the infrastructure to support “full-scale commercialization and deployment” of plug-ins.

5. The grid will crash if millions of plug-ins charge at once.

FACT: Off-peak electricity production and transmission capacity could fuel the daily commutes of 73 percent of all cars, light trucks, SUVs and vans on the road today if they were plug-in hybrids, a 2007 study by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found. Plug-ins, which can be seen as energy storage devices on wheels, can actually benefit the grid, making green energies like solar and wind power even more viable.

6. Battery chemicals are bad for the environment and can't be recycled.

FACT: Ninety-nine percent of batteries in conventional cars are recycled, according to the EPA. The metals in newer batteries are more valuable and recycling programs are already being developed for them. Utilities plan to use batteries for energy storage once they are no longer viable in a vehicle.

7. EVs take too long to charge.

FACT: The most convenient place and time to charge is at home while you sleep. Even using the slowest 120-volt outlet, the car can be left to charge overnight, producing about 40 miles of range. Most new battery cars and plug-in hybrids will charge from 240-volt outlets providing double or triple the charge in the same amount of time. Charging stations that reduce charging time even more are beginning to appear.

8. Plug-ins are too expensive for market penetration.

FACT: New technologies are typically costly. Remember when cell phones and DVDs were introduced? Also, the government stimulus package includes a $2,500 to $7,500 tax credit for EVs and PHEVs. Some states are considering additional incentives ($5,000 in California and Texas). And EVs require almost no maintenance or repair: no oil or filter changes, no tune ups, no smog checks.

9. Batteries will cost $15,000 to replace after only a few years.

FACT: The battery is the priciest part of a plug-in, but costs will drop as production increases and the auto industry is expected to be purchasing up to $25 billion in advanced batteries annually by 2015. Some car makers plan to lease their batteries, so replacement won’t be an issue.

10. There isn't enough lithium in the world to make all the new batteries.

FACT: Even in a worst-case scenario of zero battery recycling, aggressive EV sales, no new mining methods or sites, existing lithium stores will be sufficient for projected EV production for the next 75 years. See an analysis at PlugInAmerica.org.

11. Lithium batteries are dangerous and can explode.

FACT: Among the many kinds of lithium-ion batteries, lithium-cobalt batteries found in consumer electronics can pose a fire risk in certain circumstances. These risks can be mitigated by the use of advanced-battery management systems and careful design that prevents “thermal runaway.”

12. Most of us will still be driving gas cars through 2050.

FACT: Driving us toward EVs are ever-toughening federal fuel economy standards and state caps on greenhouse gas emissions; projected price hikes for petroleum products as demand increases and supply flattens or drops; broad agreement over the need for America to reduce its reliance on petroleum; and climate change, which is occurring faster than previously thought, according to the journal Science and many other sources.

I agree with that. And those myths are pernicious. Now here a few worthy year-end resolutions from EcoCAR:

Drive smart. Planning trips to avoid traffic and stop lights, maintaining steady and legal speeds, slowly accelerating, limiting use of air conditioning, heated seats, and rear window defoggers, and avoiding unnecessary heavy loads can all improve fuel economy.

Set car-free goals. Whether it is biking to work or running errands on foot, it’s easier to stick to a greener transportation plan if you set goals. University of Wisconsin EcoCAR team member Dan Grice set an ambitious goal for 2010: 3,000 commuter miles by bike. He says, “Bike commuting is my goal. I want to average four days a week which would eliminate 3,000 miles of driving in 2010.”

Try sharing. Car pooling may have been an invention of necessity to dodge traffic, but it’s greener than ever even if it’s still not the most popular option – 77 percent of Americans drive to work alone. Car sharing programs such as Zipcar are worth investigating.

Drop mileage from your food. Country-of-origin labels, wait lists for CSAs and the overcrowded farmer’s market scene add up to one thing: Americans are paying more attention to where their food comes from. A good resolution would be buying local as much as possible and setting a goal, such as resolving to incorporate one local food product into your meals every day.

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LIsa 04/10/2012 09:59 AM

Let me preface this by saying that my worklife at the moment is such that although I try to "get in" all the news and current events I can, Some days I only get bits and pieces. When the bits and pieces I hear or see that appear worthy of attention to me, I try to follow up later to get the whole story, or ask a friend or co-worker who I know is objective and adds to, corrects, or explains what was reported. And, I try to do the same for them. At any rate, the reason for the comments above.... More

Used Cars Perth 08/14/2010 10:05 AM

All these myths provided will help a great deal for me. What I am still not agreeing with the fact that it will be environment friendly. I will wait for its true feedback when it will hit the roads before buying. Check out http://www.dvg.com.au.

chuckie cheese 02/03/2010 06:47 AM

"... existing lithium stores will be sufficient for projected EV production for the next 75 years."

And when you say the exact same thing about oil, the greens say,"See! We can't count on oil as a long term solution! Ahhhh! We're all gonna die! Ahhhh!"

Lithium however, must be magic, I guess.

Gab 01/29/2010 06:07 AM

I think the real answer is public transport in the cities. Electric cars don't change the fact that if everyone in this planet would like to own a car, no matter what energy source we would employ, we would still completely destroy our environment.

Yaron 01/28/2010 05:53 AM

Are the batteries of the EV dangerous to the passengers?

Erik 01/24/2010 14:49 PM

In addition to Lawrence: how green exactly are the batteries used for 'green vehicles'? Can the industry ascertain complete recycling of all the components and chemicals used? Same goes for all the materials used to construct the car.

I think concentrating on the type of fuel alone is too narrow a focus. Interesting would be if the ambition of the green car-industry would be to produce 'closed-circuit-cars', that are efficient in all perspectives and *nearly* annihilate damage to the.... More

Larry 01/20/2010 13:37 PM

Um...we wouldn't need to worry about gas, electric, coal...well power in general...quite so much if we could figure out how to sterilize the human race. I'm not suggesting everyone "off'"themselves, just quit making humans. "Modern man" cannot live in harmony with earth and nature. Well we could actually, like the American Indians did for thousands of years, but have chosen not to. We have forfeited our right to exist. Sorry. We're trying to fix the wrong problem.

chuckie cheese 02/03/2010 06:40 AM

"...if we could figure out how to sterilize the human race"

Sterilization can be voluntary. I suggest you start with yourself and don't worry about the whole human race! Good grief.

Guest 01/18/2010 05:38 AM

Some of these answers remind me of some bad rationalizing.. Instead of hitting the issue like taking the battery a long time to charge head on, you just say "you'll be sleeping anyways". Don't get me wrong, I'm all for electric vehicles, It just makes you sound like with the technology we have today we are still in fact inept to be able to roll out a full fledged EV fleet of vehicles.

Cole 01/16/2010 13:02 PM

So, think of it this way. If you are plugging your car in to an electrical outlet, where is that "clean power" coming from? Just because we will no longer have combustion engines, we will still have combustion factories that produce the power. Just seems there's a few people who are jealous of the profits of oil companies, and want that profit for themselves. If we could use wind or solar to power these cars, then it will at least make sense... But as long as there is a coal burning power plant.... More

Kildar 01/16/2010 12:21 PM

There were steam, electric, and gasoline powered cars. The Gasoline Engine won out. why? Range, durability, and longevity.
Point, set, match.
It'll happen all over again.

Eugen Schilter 01/15/2010 20:07 PM

It's hard to conceive a more efficient use of energy than a diesel motor car in cold or rainy condition: 20% of the energy is used for propulsion, 30% are inevitable losses and a full 50% is used for heating/demisting. EV cars in such condition are big energy wasters as they need an additional combustion heater. They will have to fight for a niche. Your myth busting trial has comprehensivly invigorated them! EV are a niche contribution only. Competitive public transport is a more substantial.... More

CanadianChris 01/14/2010 12:37 PM

Enter your comments here
As mentioned above,
Until an electric car can defrost windshields and provide cabin heat, run wipers and headlights, as well as provide practical mileage, at an economical price, we simply have a non-starter for much of the world that doesn't live near the equator.

KYforester 01/14/2010 12:30 PM

Have you ever considered where these metals come from to make the batteries? have you ever been to a strip mine where they mine coal? I have, and in eastern Kentucky its destroying mountains and degrading water quality. Increasing demand for electricity on coal power plants means more flattened mountains and a greater loss in biodiversity. Producing and charging these EV cars is more detrimental to the environment than a chevy suburban would be in its entire life. Also Global warming is a.... More

Guest 01/13/2010 12:32 PM

All you "global warming" fear mongers need to stop watching Al "I invented the internet" Gore's crapumentary and start doing some research of your own. And I mean real research. Just googling it does not count as real research. Having done some research, I can tell you that yes, there has been a slight rise in temperature, just like there has been before in the earth's life. At the current temperature rise, it will take centuries before we even feel a noticable difference. What happened to.... More

alzyee 01/08/2010 12:12 PM

It is not the lithium you have to worry about it the other rare metals like neodymium needed to make the batteries and other electronics.

Fred 01/07/2010 10:26 AM

My parents live 350 miles away and when I visit them I drive, so 120 mile range really isn't good enough.

Former Skeptic 01/06/2010 13:05 PM

Has anyone else seen the battery panel in the new Tesla electric car? It appears to be a panel of lots of "watch" batteries. They claim they are easy to replace, aren't "wet", and weigh less (even in the volume used.)

Guest 01/06/2010 11:06 AM

I will buy an electric car when I can drive it to ski slopes.-where it will defrost the windows of ice and keep me warm without losing the precious charge needed to get back home...

John 01/06/2010 08:45 AM

Please don't confuse fact with speculation - or twist your facts as you did. There are decent responses to those "myths" but you failed to produce them.

I've owned 2 EV's and ridden to the top of Pikes Peak in another. I'm an electronics technician - and I'm not impressed with your misleading "facts" as answers to those questions. Stop with the spin and do your homework next time.

Dale 01/06/2010 08:34 AM

This article proposes that all EVs will have Lithium Ion batteries--in particular lithium cobalt. Lead acid batteries are superior in regards to charge density, efficiency and number of recharge cycles however the obvious disadvantage is weight which reduces the range. More batteries increase range but also decrease range due to increased weight. You have to find a happy medium regardless of what kind of battery you chose.

The best battery so far that provides a high current density,.... More

landmagget 01/06/2010 08:23 AM

How much does it cost to recharge the battery over night?

john steers 01/06/2010 08:09 AM

When my car computer says I have 40 miles of fuel left, I consider my gas tank empty. This stuff is a crock that I will not fall for. I am sitting in record cold temperatures (30 degrees in Ft. Myers this morning) with the entire country in the coldest winter snap in decades. Global warming is a manufactured fantasy that is being forced on an educated public.
I am an avid cyclist, I love the outdoors, and I do my best to minimize my carbon footprint. But I will continue to drive.... More

wakeup 01/07/2010 11:54 AM

You impossibly simple little person! Its in the phrase—Global Warming. Global. Not Ft. Myers warming. Global conditions are tending over decades of record keeping to tend to warmer temps. But no lets not listen to a huge majority of climate scientists (Over 97% of climate scientists) lets use the data provided by the douche bag in Ft. Myers. You are so close minded right there with the people who denounced opinions that the earth was round.

Kildar 01/16/2010 12:17 PM

Thats why the BBC reported no rise in temperature over the last eleven years? Right! i live in Texas, we've had RECORD cold temperatures. So has the rest of the goddamned state. TEXAS.
Its LARGE. it is supposed to be HOT. the coldest winter we had prior to this was mid 40s. It was 9 yesterday! 9!
Comprende? Get your head out of the sand and look around!

kalsted 01/06/2010 07:50 AM

you just proved the point. You can't drive more than 40 miles if you plug in at home overnight; you can't drive 120 on a trip. If I go anywhere to visit family and friends I go more than 120 miles round trip. All of the battery "cost" and improvements are "in the future" When's that? Sure a $45 calculator in 1976 is 3>99 now - 30 years and more than a generation later, that didn't help in 1977,8,9 80, 81 etc. You just reinforced the notion that the cars are strictly urban vehicles for short.... More

Matty 01/01/2010 21:36 PM

Why are electric cars even being discussed anymore? Hydrogen is the end-all, be-all. Electrify water, get hydrogen...emissions: water.
Won't have to worry about where the pollution is coming from, where to plug in, where to this/that. Put water in your tank & go. The only reason we're talking about electric vehicles is due to the monopolies can't make money off of water! Which is an even bigger conspiracy the killing the electric car in the other vids you've seen (referring to Uncle B's.... More

William 01/06/2010 17:19 PM

Hydrogen cars are being waved in front of our faces by big oil so we'll be satisfied with tech that has been 10 years down the road for 30 years now. Electric cars are here TODAY. If you have to commute more than 50 miles a day consider moving. For the trips to the slopes rent a plugin hybrid or EV with a range extender.

Guest 01/14/2010 11:25 AM

If you have to commute more than 50 miles a day you should move?! Man that electric car sure is easy, just let me sell my home on this market, move and endure all the hassles that are associated with it, and then i can buy an electric car! WOO!

dumbshit

Former Skeptic 01/06/2010 12:58 PM

Enter your comments here
Generating hydrogen from water requires significant non-green energy with current technology, so it's not really as viable as you might think. Also still has a lot of challenges in storage for cars. I had the opportunity to view a demo of the hydrogen BMW 7 series--Quite cool, but not very practical, and most importantly, NOT eco-friendly when you account for the back energy source to produce the hydrogen. Maybe in another couple of decades.

JPnSD 01/04/2010 20:20 PM

Presently, you start with Natural gas and send it through a steam reformer (add yet more fuel to power this) to get hydrogen. How does that make sense from a cost perspoective or enbvironmental perspective??

Gman 01/03/2010 04:22 AM

Matty, hydrogen cars don't run on water, they produce water vapor as exhaust. And electrolyzing hydrogen from water takes as much or more energy as it gives off. I don't know what "monopolies" you think are conspiring here, no company has a monopoly on lithium batteries.

Paul Scott 12/28/2009 13:43 PM

Lawrence's comment about battery cost coming down as merely speculation isn't quite true. We've already seen significant reduction in costs across the board and with the billions of new investment globally, the cost of LiIon cells for vehicles continues to drop. Also, the secondary use of these batteries for utility energy storage will be factored in the the economic equation making the numbers even better for plug-ins.

Uncle B 12/28/2009 12:19 PM

Google, torrent, the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car" for even more information on Electric Cars!

Lawrence 12/27/2009 14:34 PM

Please consider the EV range is reduced in cold temperatures. This occurs for all battery chemistry types: Lead acid, NiCad, NiMH, and LiIon.

Please consider at this time, the cost of the battery still makes the EV very unattractive compared to a conventional automobile. The statement in the article is speculation.

Will the EEStor research company make an economical battery replacement with thier EESU? I hope so. The rumors are it will last greater than your lifetime with millions.... More