Debunking 3 common myths about electric vehicles

Mel Gander, Kaluza’s Chief Operating Officer, highlights why three of the most common things she hears about electric vehicles (EVs) aren’t true.

There is a lot of confusion around electric vehicles. Just last weekend, a friend was looking into which EV he should upgrade to as part of his company car scheme. Navigating EV versus hybrid, home charge points and running costs, all proved a bit of a headache and this is against a backdrop of widespread misconceptions around EV ownership.

Myth: “Electric vehicles cost more to run than combustion engine vehicles”
It can be difficult to understand how your running costs will change when comparing litres of diesel or petrol to kilowatt hours of electricity. According to recent research, a staggering 68% of UK drivers are hesitant to switch to an EV due to perceived high charging costs. Additionally, 52% of respondents were unaware that EVs are cheaper to run than petrol and diesel alternatives.

Fact: Contrary to popular belief, EVs are in fact cheaper in overall lifetime costs than combustion engine vehicles. While the upfront cost of purchasing an EV may be higher, the running costs can be significantly lower. On the right electricity tariff, the cost per km for electricity is substantially less than gas or diesel. For example, OVO’s Kaluza-powered Charge Anytime allows customers to charge up at just 10p/12 cents per kWh versus 31p/36 cents for the rest of their home. That’s about 2p/3 cents a km – around 75% less than the price of petrol.

Myth: “You have to get up at 3am to plug in an EV to get the cheapest rates”
Many low-rate charging tariffs offer you the best prices overnight, when there is less demand on the grid. It is sometimes assumed that to get the cheapest price you have to wake up in the middle of the night to plug in.

Fact: Software like Kaluza Flex can work out the cheapest and greenest time to charge for you. You can plug in your EV as soon as you get home from work, even if that’s at 6pm when energy rates are at their highest, and the actual charging is controlled remotely to happen when prices dip – and this is usually when more renewable energy is around too.

Myth: “If all electric vehicles plug in at once, they’ll break the grid”
One of the concerns surrounding the widespread adoption of EVs is the strain they might put on the power grid. Sceptics worry that if everyone plugs in simultaneously, it could overload the electrical infrastructure, causing damage to equipment and power outages.

Fact: These fears are unfounded. The electricity grid is a complex system designed to handle varying loads throughout the day, including peak demand periods. It is also highly unlikely that drivers would all plug in at the same time, the same way households don’t all have their ovens on at exactly the same time in the evenings. And, unlike cooking, EV charging can be delayed until later at night, taking advantage of off-peak hours when electricity demand is generally lower.

Additionally, we are on the brink of a disruptive new technology known as vehicle-to-grid, or ‘V2G’ that enables energy to flow bi-directionally – from the grid into an EV and vice versa. The promise of V2G is that it will allow EVs to actually stabilise the grid and prevent blackouts, rather than causing them.

In fact, Kaluza recently completed a V2G trial with OVO, Nissan and Indra that resulted in 330 V2G devices installed across the country and over 4.5 million free kilometres made available to customers who exported energy back to the grid during peak times. It also showed that V2G has the potential to save more than £3.5 billion (€4 billion) per year on grid infrastructure reinforcement, and that customers can earn an average of £421 (€484) per year without needing to do anything except keep their cars plugged in when they are not in use.

In summary, while there’s natural uncertainty around the switch to EVs that affects so many of us, and a lot of work is still needed for these vehicles to become truly mainstream, we’re getting closer and closer to a reality where all UK cars will be electric and make a significant impact on carbon emissions.

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About Kaluza:

Kaluza is an energy software company powering the future of energy. From revolutionising billing to smart electric vehicle charging, Kaluza’s technology is empowering some of the biggest energy suppliers to better serve millions of customers. Kaluza is a B Corp-certified business with over 450 employees across seven global hubs. www.kaluza.com