Are these the 5 Myths Holding Back Your EV Fleet Transition (Part 3)?

As the final piece in the myths that may be holding you back, here are 5 more you may hear or even believe. Do these myths surrounding electric vehicles (EVs) hold your fleet transition decision making back?

As we speed toward 2030 and 2050 you and your team will need to address fixed beliefs and get a good source of the truth. Let’s debunk 5 more myths often facing transport fleets.

Myth #11: An Old Vehicle Is Greener Than A New EV

Reality: Keeping an old vehicle running saves the spike in emissions from manufacturing a new EV and it makes sense if you are only doing small mileage. Several studies show that an EV’s build emissions are paid back within the first 50,000km compared to an equivalent ICE vehicle. The equation is even better with more renewables than the current grid has. As ICE vehicles age, they wear and inevitably use more fuel, this is not the case for EVs, so the gap widens further. Then there is the tailpipe pollution, the stuff we breathe from diesels particularly, kills twice the people in Australia per year that road accidents do (3000 vs 1266). EVs do not produce the particulate matter and nitrous oxide that create cardiovascular and lung complications. Then there is brake dust… for another myth buster.

Myth #12: EVs Are Heavier So Wear Out Roads And Tyres And Brakes Give Off More Dust

Reality: EVs have a higher unloaded kerb weight than an equivalent ICE vehicle but the average car size has grown markedly in the last 30 years also. A electric car may be 300kg more and larger rigid trucks up to 2t more. As for road wear, it is exponentially impacted with the weight of a single tyre and very little impact occurs under 1t per tyre. Road wear is impacted by large trucks and they have a maximum weight per axle (ergo tyre). The impact will not necessarily be on roads but the payload of the truck, until we see signifcant mass concessions.

Tyre wear is impacted by weight but for the same reasons above there is no real reason for difference between fuel types. Torque and traction has a greater impact on tyre wear, particularly on the driven axles and EVs can wear drive tyres faster when drivers are a bit enthusiastic. Tyre life is more down to the individual model of tyre and vehicle geometry than fuel type.

Brakes are simple, EVs use the motor to slow down to some degree, some vehicles more than others. EVs with good regenerative braking extend the life of the brake to about 10 times longer than an ICE. 10X less dust to breath or clean off the wheels. There is an Australian Model S that covered 460,000km before its first brake service, they weren't worn out the owner just chose to do them at the same time as suspension components.

Myth #13: Batteries Will Degrade Quickly And Cost A Fortune To Replace

Reality: Early EV battery technology (see Nissan Leaf) and laptops/telephones are nothing like the batteries in cars, buses and trucks today. The cell chemistry is vastly improved and both cells and battery temperature far better managed. These are main factors in battery degradation along with some usage habits. Modern EV batteries will “last” around 3000 cycles (often more) and if we are really conservative that a full discharge provides 250km, that’s a 750,000km life. There is a 1 hour session to unpack in this sentence but that’s a far sight further that most rhetoric.

The time comes to change the battery (far less likely/often than reported), and you have to pay for it (8 year warranties abound), what is it going to cost? Nissan dealers quoted $20k to replace a small Leaf pack 5 years ago but today you can double the size of the pack for 3/4 of that. There is inherent value in the “dead” battery, be it redeployed or recycled, so there is your trade in. Then there is the new pack, batteries are about $200/kWh for me to purchase now (IYKYK- yes the project is progressing) so that Leaf replacement should be <$6k.

My response to this question is – “by the time you’ll need to worry about a replacement the cells and remanufacturing solutions will make it rather cheap to give your vehicle another >500000km life”. You could build in a sensible contingency (like $250/kWh) or better still rent/lease the vehicle.

Myth #14: There Are No Trained Mechanics To Service EVs And Everyone Will Need Training.

Reality: This may be controversial but not all mechanics will need training in deep EV repair, in fact we will need less technicians (that’s another topic). Mechanics who are doing simple fluid, tyre, brake, suspension and superficial work do not need training that teaches then to disconnect batteries or high voltage. They do require insight on how to identify what not to touch or mess with (the orange bits). There are several online offers for this including that from the MTAQ https://mtaq.com.au/training/micro-credentials/introduction-into-electric-vehicles/.

For the first 4-8 years the warranty will mean the dealer will likely do most complex repair work on the battery, motor or high voltage systems. Reality is most non-franchise mechanics won’t have the means to diagnose the issue, let alone get the parts for it. Dealers and their manufacturers are ramping up the training for their staff quite quickly. I have done several truck body builder courses recently and the biggest takeaway was to protect the orange bits from impact/cut/crush/damage, same goes for any mechanic. Technician electrocution from EVs is so rare I've struggle to find credible reports of it. Reality is the vehicle manages risk well in normal circumstances, crashes are different.

So what of the humble local mechanic (and I have been one)? Get your head around how you can offer EV friendly services. Seek out a course if you feel you want it and get educated to the level you need. Rotating tyres and replacing an upper control arm is not impacted by the car being an EV. NSW SafeWork offers a more formal approach to what workshops should do https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/electric-vehicles

Myth #15: I’ll Wait Until EVs Can Run The Building's Electricity And Support V2G Services

Reality: Vehicle to Grid (V2G) has been promised for years and I have had fleet managers tell me that they want to wait for this innovation before transitioning their fleet. That’s like a Spitfire pilot waiting for the stealth fighter to be invented before defending Britain in 1940. V2G is complex, expensive and has been 5 years away for the past 10 – its not happening for a while yet for lots of reasons. This is an excuse really that is used to strike fear of obsolescence in senior management, don’t let it. Many modern EVs can provide on-board access to energy, extending the utility of the vehicle by charging or running equipment. It is not as complex as V2G and here now. If you need to power or charge equipment then an EV will likely be perfect for your needs.

Don't let these (or other) myths hold you back from transitioning to an electric fleet. Seek out advice from reputable, independent and knowledgeable sources. Embrace innovation and future-proof your operations.

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