3 Myths About Electric Mobility

3 Myths About Electric Mobility

1. Electric mobility is too expensive


Electric vehicles used to be something only the rich could afford, but this is not the situation today. Over the years the price has significantly dropped thanks to the reduced cost of batteries and the expansion of the numbers of electric vehicles available. The purchase price is still higher than a comparable combustion vehicle, however, the total lifetime cost is cheaper as electric vehicles are cheaper to operate than combustion vehicles. This is a result from lower energy, maintenance and repair costs, as well as possible tax concessions and insurance premiums.

2. Batteries are immature and not reliable


Lithium-ion batteries are powerful! Due to the rapidly increase in demand and the outlook of a strong market growth, lithium-ion batteries are advancing fast. Lithium-ion batteries have advantages in terms of energy density, high number of discharge cycles and short charging times compared to other storage technologies. Various test by car manufacturers have confirmed the quality, long-term performance and service life of lithium-ion batteries. With the new generations of electric vehicles, most manufacturers have increased the warranty period for the batteries, and often individual cells of the battery can be replaced instead of the whole battery. 

In the future, the technology will continue to improve, with the improvement of energy density and costs. Alternative storage choices are being investigated in conjunction with lithium. In addition, better solutions to minimize or eliminate cobalt is being made along with solutions on how to best recycle and reuse old battery parts. One of these solutions is to reuse the batteries on buildings to reduce power peaks.

3. Not as safe as conventional vehicles


Electric vehicles are safe and they burn less often than vehicles with combustion engines. They do not carry any flammable or explosive liquids. The media has created a falls impression that electric engines burns more often than combustion engines as this creates more user clicks. Nonetheless, scientific investigations have proved that electric vehicles catch fire less frequently than combustion vehicles. Current electric vehicles are therefore "just as safe" as conventional vehicles.

In the event of a crash, electric vehicles achieve top ratings. All the safety advantages of electric vehicles are due in particular to the combustion vehicles. In the event of a crash, no heavy engine block is pressed into the driver's area, and the high weight of the weight in the underbody (battery) minimizes the risk of overturning.

For further myth busting facts about electric mobility, head over to www.swiss-emobility.ch