Skim the comments under any EV story and you’ll see the same old myths wheeled out again and again. Here are a few classics — and what the facts actually say.
The average driver in Germany clocks around 12,000 km a year — roughly 33 km a day. Modern EVs like the VW ID.3 or Tesla Model 3 manage about 300–500 kilometres on a charge. For commuting and daily errands, that’s more than enough.
With today’s charging network and a bit of planning, long trips are straightforward. Fold charging into stops you’d take anyway — coffee, food, loo — and the total travel time barely changes. Rule of thumb: take your comfort break, add ten minutes. Many EVs top 400 kilometres between charges, so you’re not hopping from plug to plug.
In 2024, Germany had around 146,000 public charging points — and the number’s rising. For context, there are about 86,000 fuel pumps across 14,000 petrol stations. The rapid‑charging network is expanding quickly too, making it easy to top up even at busy locations.
At rapid chargers, you can add roughly 70% in 10–30 minutes — typically good for another 200–300 kilometres. Many drivers simply plug in at home overnight or at work during the day, so charging happens in the background. In day‑to‑day use, charge time rarely matters.
Upfront prices can be higher, but running costs are usually lower. EVs have fewer parts to service and cheaper energy (electricity vs fuel). While the battery is the big‑ticket item if it fails, combustion cars have their own costly bits — turbochargers, clutches, gearboxes, injectors, catalytic converters. Over time, lower running and maintenance costs often make up the difference.
Battery production is the most energy‑intensive stage and front‑loads emissions — the energy mix used is key. Modern methods can cut those emissions by up to 50%. Over a car’s lifetime, EVs more than offset the initial footprint with zero tailpipe emissions, especially when charged with renewable electricity.
EVs meet the same safety standards and crash tests as petrol and diesel cars and are just as safe. Despite the headlines, statistics show petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles are roughly twenty times more likely to catch fire. In other words, EVs aren’t a higher fire risk — if anything, the opposite.
Even with one million EVs, electricity demand would rise by only about 1–2%, which the existing grid can handle. Smart charging and load management spread demand efficiently, even as EV numbers grow.
Studies have found sufficient lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite to support global electrification. Recycling keeps improving, and alternative chemistries are emerging. Cobalt content in batteries has already been cut significantly, and new technologies will reduce raw‑material needs further.
Read next
Milestones in Electric Mobility
