Polling of petrol and diesel car drivers by YouGov for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has found a ‘poor’ level of knowledge of electric cars.

When asked if ten separate statements about EVs were true or false, more than half (57 per cent) of fossil fuelled car drivers got just two or less out of ten correct, with 90 per cent scoring just five or less out of ten. Around a quarter (23 per cent) got none correct.

A poor understanding of EVs is likely to have some impact on the choices these drivers will make for their next car. Drivers who scored two or less out of ten were more than ten times less likely to want their next car to be an EV than those who scored eight or more.

A Lords committee published a report on electric vehicles in which it expressed concern about a “concerted campaign of misinformation” about EVs. This was the report that rather fantastically also singled out Mr Bean as an issue, but none-the-less this polling reinforces the impact of misinformation, confusing people about the realities of EV ownership and dissuading them from making the shift.

Colin Walker, head of transport at ECIU, said: “The previous government’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is increasing competition between manufacturers, bringing down upfront costs and will start to feed the second-hand market where most of us buy our cars. Second-hand EVs are already at price parity with petrol cars, but are so much cheaper to run, so the policy is set to bring down the costs of motoring for ordinary families.

“Poll after poll has found EV drivers love their cars and simply wouldn’t go back to petrol. But all the myths being peddled about EVs are misleading some petrol car drivers who now have a really poor knowledge of electric cars.”

The statements covered costs of owning and running an EV, charging, the natural resources needed to build and run an EV and even the likelihood of a fire. For example, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) of ICE drivers believe it’s more expensive to own and run an EV, with only 14 per cent correctly recognising that EVs are typically cheaper., and 41 per cent of ICE drivers incorrectly think that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars.

Also, more than half (59 per cent) thought the UK’s electricity grid “will not be able to cope” with the UK’s shift to EVs. The National Grid has explicitly labelled this a ‘myth’ and is clear that the power system will be able to cope with millions more EVs in the UK, and 80 per cent think the UK is not on course to install the charging infrastructure it needs, despite the country being ahead of schedule to hit its target of 300,000 chargers on the UK’s roads by 2030.

Most surprising of all, a majority of drivers with an opinion (35 per cent) incorrectly believed that an EV’s lifetime CO2 emissions are no less than those of a petrol car, whereas only 32 per cent disagreed. An EV being driven in the UK produces three times less lifetime CO2 emissions that an equivalent petrol or diesel car. (UK Government figures.)

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