Despite the numerous benefits that electric vehicles offer, some still have doubts about whether to make their next car an EV.
Compared to vehicles powered by dirty fuels like gas or diesel, electric vehicles are much cheaper to refuel, and they need a lot less maintenance over their lifespan.
That's not even to mention their environmental benefits, with EVs producing zero tailpipe pollution while out on the road — cutting the production of planet-warming gases from the vehicle sector — and ensuring particulate matter pollution and toxic substances aren't expelled into our air.
However, in a study published in the Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives journal, shared by Science Direct, there are a few factors stopping motorists from investing in an EV.
While the high purchase price of vehicles was the number one concern — although incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act and other state-specific initiatives can cut those costs — and a perceived lack of charging stations was the second main worry, "high battery replacement cost" was listed as the third-biggest barrier to buying an EV.
The Fully Charged Show YouTube channel noted, however, that those fears might be much larger than they need to be when it comes to a battery's lifespan.
Host Robert Llewellyn met Tesla owner Nigel Raynard, whose Tesla Model S has clocked nearly 440,000 miles, pushing toward the half-million mark.
"That isn't quite to the moon and back, but it's to the moon, and you're re-entering the Earth's atmosphere," Llewellyn observed. "So it's quite a long way."
While Raynard noted that he did have to change the original battery after it displayed an error code showing reduced charging ability, that powerpack was able to achieve 413,000 miles before then.
That performance demonstrates that it will take quite some time before a replacement battery is needed. Raynard noted that he uses his Tesla for work, meaning he puts a lot of miles on the clock. The average driver, then, will likely not have to worry about doing the same for years.
Raynard also pointed out that because of the minimal moving parts found in an electric vehicle, he has not needed a lot of maintenance on the car. The major change was replacement brake pads, but that was done at 285,000 miles, and not because they weren't functioning properly. He had them done at the same time as getting an air conditioning compressor, making it a sensible option to replace the pads at the same time.
Customers in the back of Raynard's car have tried to point out potential flaws about electric vehicles, but he is all too happy to dispel those myths, surprising people who have perhaps heard the wealth of misinformation circulating about EVs — not least concerning battery life.
"The world needs more stories about high-mileage EV batteries," one comment on YouTube read. "That's a number 1 concern for many of the people I talk to."
"I truly don't think people are understanding how significant this is," another added. "Going 410,000 miles on the original battery that was constantly being fast charged. That almost certainly means you should expect at least half a million miles from a newer model Tesla."
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