New research has found many drivers of petrol and diesel cars still don’t fully understand EVs, and warns that misinformation is causing motorists to hold back from making the shift to electric cars.
The findings come from a survey commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank and carried out by YouGov. A total of 1,002 non-EV drivers were asked whether statements about electric cars were true or false, with more than half scoring two or less out of 10. Just five per cent managed to get eight or more correct.
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One prominent misconception about EVs is that they’re more likely to catch fire than combustion-engined cars. Less than a quarter of those who took part in the survey recognised that was false, while nearly half believed it.
Unsurprisingly, the research also found that the most ill-informed participants are roughly 17 times less likely to choose an EV as their next car, whereas the people who scored well are around three times more likely to ditch petrol or diesel and get an electric car next.
The ECIU previously conducted research into the effect of misinformation surrounding electric cars in 2024 and its latest results suggest that the issue is getting worse in some areas. The previous research found that 41 per cent of non-EV drivers thought that electric cars were more likely to catch fire than petrol ones, compared with 46 per cent this time.
