Why are we still being bombarded with false information about EVs? In recent weeks, the media has been awash with stories along the lines of: "sales of EVs have plunged, with manufacturers holding onto many unsold vehicles". The idea behind this is to put people off buying a "battery-powered" car and to stick to with reliable internal combustion engines (ICE).

But like so many other myths about EVs, it's all lies. Let's not forget that the motor industry is the number one advertiser in many media outlets, and as such, it has the ability to push whatever news it wants. Flip through a magazine or a newspaper, and you'll find car ads. Turn on the TV, and you'll see more car ads. Ford spends on average about $468 per vehicle it sells on advertising, Toyota $454, GM $394, and Chrysler $664; Tesla spends nothing at all. When it comes to spreading fake news, the traditional auto industry has the whip hand, and much of the media is still prepared to print whatever it tells them to. Who pays the piper calls the tune.

As a result, the legacy motor industry has been getting away with murder for decades. Remember the long-tailpipe story about EVs generating more emissions than ICE vehicles? All lies. Taking into account the entire cycle from manufacture to retirement, an EV's emissions are between 60% and 68% lower.

Then there's the garbage that you won't be able to sell your EV because nobody wants to buy second-hand one for fear of having to change the battery, which costs as much as the whole car. Hogwash. There's a very healthy second-hand EV market, and it's only in a very few cases where the battery needs replacing, which typically have a long warranty anyway. Electric car batteries last between 15 and 20 years, and the percentage of EVS that need a battery change is just 1.5%.

Another reason not to buy an EV, of course, is that they are effectively bombs on wheels that could explode at any minute. The reality? There are 3.8 fires for every 100,000 EVs, and 68 for every 100,000 ICE vehicles. But of course, the media only ever report the isolated EV fire. Now why might that be?

Then there's the hardy perennial of being left stranded when you run out of charge on a long journey. True, it is possible if you ignore all the warnings provided by the vehicle itself, and as more and more chargers become available, you'd have to really go out of your way to break down. In fact, calls for assistance for EVs that have run out of battery are very low. And no, they aren't too heavy for our roads, they definitely don't create more pollution, and hydrogen isn't the answer; and yes, the initial outlay for an EV can still be higher than its ICE counterpart, but if you know any finances, you'll know that they are much cheaper to run.

The latest attempt to to stoke fear about EVs is that that consumers are turning away from them, when in fact, even Volkswagen reports healthy sales that have put its EV division into the black earlier than expected. There has been no overproduction: sales continue to trend upward.

Guess what? The share of EVs among new registrations in the European Union increased from 0.4% in 2016 to 14.6% in 2023. In Sweden, the share was 0.8% and 37.8%, respectively. And of course, there is no doubt regarding the fact that the market share of EVs will continue to grow. If you want to know how the EV market is doing, read the International Energy Agency's (IEA) fact-filled report, "Trends in electric cars".

In fact, electric vehicles are, unsurprisingly, selling more and more. Even in countries particularly addicted to gasoline and with ridiculously low fuel prices, they make up 5% of ownership, a figure from which, in other countries, sales have skyrocketed. In China, by comparison, EV sales are growing so fast that ICE vehicle factories are on the verge of closure. In the Netherlands, 68% of new vehicles purchased in December 2023 were electric, a figure that puts the country on the path of mythical Norway.

Every first quarter of every year, legacy automotive reports that EV sales are falling. And every time it is exposed as a lie. The goal is to convince uninformed people that if they buy an EV, now that "sales are falling", they will be making a bad decision, when in fact, they will have bought a vehicle that will save them money over its (lengthy) lifetime. Why are companies like Toyota so opposed to EVs? Because they missed the boat (they are far behind in technology and completely lost on issues such as digitization or advanced processors), and above all, because with their bloated dealership structures and their huge advertising expenses, they cannot compete against Tesla, and much less with Chinese EVs.

But of course, it costs nothing to lie, and besides, there is no lack of people willing to believe anything.

(En español, aquí)