Debunking 10 Common EV Myths

Electric cars have been around for a hot minute now. Yet, we still hear all sorts of strange myths about EVs, all of which have been busted many years ago.

They may not be suitable for everyone, but when we talk about electric vehicles, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. In the interest of doing so, we’ve compiled a handy list of facts about EVs for you to whip out at your next family Thanksgiving get-together.

Myth: EVs Are Too Expensive for Most People

While it’s true that electric cars tend to be more expensive upfront than comparable ICE models, that doesn’t quite tell the whole story.

Many EVs—including the recently released Honda Prologue—are eligible for a sizeable federal tax credit of up to $7,500 dollars, and in some cases, this credit can even be used as a down payment. In addition, some states and localities (such as Southern California, wink) offer other credits, which can further offset the steeper price tag.

But, even if you don’t live in a place with local tax benefits, the federal credit is more than enough to make an EV cheaper than a gas model.

Myth: EVs Can’t Drive Long Distances

Folks who like to pick on EVs tend to say something along the lines of, “EVs can’t go cross-country like my gas car can.” So, can an electric car be a good road trip vehicle?

Absolutely. It’s true that just a few years ago, EVs tended to get fairly poor range, today’s standards are wildly different. Depending on the specific model, the 2024 Prologue has between 273 and 296 miles of range; either way, that’s about the same as you’d get on a single tank of gas in many cars.

Even if you have a long daily commute to work and back—say, 50 miles—you can easily make the journey without having to worry about running out of juice.

Myth: EVs Take Too Long to Charge

The other factor in the range anxiety equation is the folklore that EVs take forever to charge.

Again, this is often based on outdated info. Using public DC fast charging, the Prologue is capable of going from 10% to 80% charged in about half an hour, and it can regain up to 65 miles of charge in just ten minutes.

It’s true that that’s still longer than you’d spend at a gas pump, but charging your EV only takes about the same amount of time you’d spend eating at a restaurant, grocery shopping, or getting a haircut. And, with battery technology continuing to advance, we expect those charge times to become shorter and shorter in the coming years.

Myth: There Aren’t Enough EV Chargers

Let’s all say it together: “Nope, not true anymore!”

The U.S. Department of Energy has a handy little map of EV charging station locations, which lists nearly 80,000 across North America. In total, at the end of 2023 they estimated over 140,000 individual ports in the U.S. alone, and that number is growing all the time. It may be factual that you’ll have a harder time finding them out in the country, but then again, the same could be said for gas stations.

If that weren’t convincing enough, here’s another tidbit: thanks to the North American Charging Standard being adopted by the majority of automakers, nearly all EVs will be able to use Tesla Superchargers in the very near future.

Myth: EV Charging Will Cause Your Electric Bill to Skyrocket

If you’re going to own an electric car, it’ll likely behoove you to have an at-home level 2 charger installed, if possible. But, won’t that cause your electric bill to shoot through the roof?

As it turns out, not so much. According to the EPA, in 2020, EV charging consumed less power than water heating and air conditioning.

You can also offset the strain on your electric bill by taking advantage of public charging, which is markedly cheaper than refueling an internal combustion car. In addition, most manufacturers offer incentives to shoppers who buy new EVs, including hundreds of dollars of public charging credits.

Myth: EVs Are Weaker than Gas-Powered Cars

Au contraire, electric cars can often have better performance specs than a similarly sized car with a classic motor. Electric motors are famous for delivering near-instantaneous torque, which gives EVs an incredibly responsive, almost go kart-like pedal action.

The Prologue comes in either front-wheel or all-wheel drive. FWD models have 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, while AWD ones have 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque. The Elite model also has a Sport mode for a little extra zip, and all models have 1,500 pounds of towing capacity, which is on par with gas-powered equivalents.

Myth: EVs Aren’t Safe

Electric vehicles are held to the exact same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards as any other car, which means they go through the same rigorous crash testing procedures.

What’s more, because of the fact that many EVs tend to be a) newer, and b) decidedly tech-forward, they often have the latest and greatest driver assistance goodies. The Prologue comes with the full complement of Honda Sensing features.

The NHTSA also recently announced it was establishing a Battery Safety Initiative, which will further ensure a higher standard of EV safety.

Myth: EV Batteries Are Prone to Failure

To this, we say, the battery in your EV ain’t like the AAAs powering your TV remote. Certainly, they aren’t meant to last forever, but electric vehicle batteries are designed to last the lifetime of the car with minimal degradation.

It can’t be argued that if an EV battery does fail, it’s pretty dang expensive to replace. However, according to the Department of Energy, the failure rate of batteries in electric vehicles has been lower than 1% since the 2015 model year. Those are some strong odds.

Nearly all manufacturers offer extensive EV battery warranty coverage as well. Honda covers the Prologue’s EV battery for 8 years or 100,000 miles if it falls below 75% capacity.

Myth: EVs Are Bad for the Power Grid

It’s true that, if everyone bought an electric car tomorrow, the grid would be in some serious trouble. But, at the current rate of EV adoption, the grid is doing just fine, and per the EPA, electric cars can even be beneficial in some cases due to the rise in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, which works by reversing the charge when demand is particularly high.

Many electric owners also charge their cars at off-peak hours, i.e. overnight, which further lightens the load on the local electrical grid.

Myth: EVs Are Bad for the Environment

It’s a popular talking point that the manufacture of EV batteries creates more pollution and carbon emissions than is offset by driving one, but the people who research such things say that this simply isn’t true.

The amount of pollution varies based on how the power in question is sourced, but even accounting for this nationwide, electric cars still have a smaller beginning-to-end carbon footprint than ICE vehicles.

Check Out the Honda Prologue at Our Dealership Near Goleta

If you’re still on the fence or not convinced about EVs, especially Honda EVs, come out to our dealership in Santa Barbara for a test drive and check one out for yourself. If you absolutely fall in love, we offer competitive new vehicle specials, and we make trading in your car easy as pie. And trust us, we have plenty of Honda Prologues and Honda Accord Hybrids available for you to check out.

Contact us online or give us a call at (805) 755-4657 to learn about tax benefits and financing on a Honda Prologue.