Electric car myths, answered

Electric cars attract strong opinions. Here are common claims and balanced answers.

"The grid can't cope"

Most charging happens overnight when demand is low, and smart chargers and EV tariffs move charging to quieter times. The grid needs investment as more people switch, which is planned over many years. Charging isn't all happening at once.

"Batteries die after a few years"

Battery capacity falls slowly with age and use. Many older Teslas still have most of their original range, and Tesla gives a long battery warranty. See Battery degradation and warranty.

"Electric cars are worse for the planet because of batteries"

Making a battery does create emissions. Over a car's life, studies generally find electric cars produce lower total emissions than petrol or diesel cars, and the gap grows as the electricity grid gets cleaner. The exact figure depends on the car and how the electricity is made.

"They're useless in the cold"

Range does drop in winter, but UK winters are mild by global standards. Preconditioning and seat heaters help. See Winter driving.

"There aren't enough chargers"

The UK has well over 100,000 public chargers, and most owners charge mainly at home. Remote areas have fewer, so plan ahead there.

"They catch fire"

Electric car fires get a lot of attention. They are serious when they happen and need different firefighting techniques, but the evidence so far does not show that electric cars catch fire more often than petrol or diesel cars.