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Myths and misinformation about EVs and heat pumps
Updated: May 7
Dec 2023 – London
The myths and misconceptions about electric vehicles (EVs) and air source heat pumps (ASHPs) undermine consumer confidence and slow the adoption of the technologies that will help wean us off hydrocarbons. They are often spread by vested interests looking to protect the fossil fuel- and associated industries. At Electrify Research we talk to homeowners[i] in the UK, France, Germany and the USA every quarter. We’ve discovered that myths and misinformation have penetrated deep into the public consciousness in all four of the countries we poll. Our findings:
The EV myths we tested and our findings:
% Agree (Agree + Agree Strongly) | All | UK | Germany | France | USA |
Mass adoption of EVs swaps one problem (pollution / carbon dioxide from oil / gas) with another (lithium and cobalt mining, dead batteries) | 62% | 60% | 65% | 64% | 60% |
The batteries in EVs makes them a serious fire-hazard | 56% | 46% | 72% | 54% | 53% |
The electricity grid won't be able to cope with the demands of mass EV adoption | 55% | 50% | 61% | 57% | 51% |
EVs batteries will wear out too quickly meaning re-sale values will be poor | 46% | 45% | 50% | 43% | 45% |
Public chargers for EVs are unreliable and often out of order | 46% | 53% | 42% | 44% | 44% |
EVs are so heavy they cause greater tyre wear which makes the problem of micro-plastics in the environment even worse | 36% | 37% | 37% | 34% | 35% |
Electrify Research’s Home Electrification Tracker Survey, Fieldwork 5th – 10th Oct 2023. Sample size: UK (1,014), Germany (1,009), France (1,020), USA (1,007). Sample representative by age, gender and region per country based on quotas derived from Eurostat (France & Germany), ONS (UK) and US Census Bureau (USA). All respondents aged 18+. All respondents are homeowners who agree that they are “typically involved in making major home improvement decisions e.g., a renovation, upgrading a heating / hot water system, buying a car or major domestic appliance.”
EV Myths - Results
Of the myths tested, the one with most widespread buy-in was “Mass adoption of EVs swaps one problem (pollution / carbon dioxide from oil / gas) with another (lithium and cobalt mining, dead batteries)”. Overall, 62% of respondents either agreed (33%) or agreed strongly (29%) with this statement. While it’s true that there are some environmental concerns with the mining, production, recycling and disposal of batteries, the scientific consensus is that the impact is minor in comparison to that of drilling, refining, distribution, and burning of petroleum products[ii]. As with most of the myths tested, German homeowners had the highest level of buy-in (65% strongly agreed or agreed with the statement) but the other countries, including the UK, were not far behind with 60% of UK homeowners agreeing (the same as the USA, slightly lower than France, at 64%). Interestingly, the prevalence of myth buy-in increases with advancing age: for example, among respondents aged 18-24, the rate is 51%; for those aged 25-34, it rises to 56%; for the 35-44 age bracket, it further elevates to 61%. This trend continues, with those aged 65+ showing the highest level of agreement at 68%.
The myth with the second most acceptance is, “The batteries in EVs makes them a serious fire-hazard.” Agreement with this myth shows the biggest level of variation within the four nations, with 72% of German homeowners agreeing with the contention compared to 46% of homeowners in the UK– a lower, but still a hugely exaggerated fear. According to many sources, EVs are around twenty times less likely to catch fire than ICE cars. Those with university-level education are, perhaps counter intuitively, less likely to agree compared to those with school-level education (54% vs. 59%).
The third most widely held myth was that “The electricity grid won't be able to cope with the demands of mass EV adoption”. Again, agreement was highest in Germany (61%) and lowest in the UK (50%). In reality, most grid operators have been planning for the conversion of the national car fleet to EVs for some time and they understand that the cars will turn fully electric within in a relatively short period (in the EU and UK all new cars sold will be EVs by 2035). While it’s true that there will be technical challenges, a combination of generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades and, critically, much more sophisticated demand management, should mean the systems remain robust. Yet over half of homeowners have bought into a myth that will, undoubtedly and needlessly, retard EV sales.
The next myth: “EVs batteries will wear out too quickly meaning re-sale values will be poor” is once again largely baseless. While it’s not entirely clear exactly how EV depreciation curves will differ from ICE curves (the EV market is obviously far less established) it’s confidently known that EV batteries will last longer than ICE drivetrains. Yet across the four countries in our survey, 46% bought into the myth that EV batteries wear out too quickly. Again, somewhat counter-intuitively, younger respondents were more inclined to agree with this myth (e.g., 52% agreement amongst 18–24-year-olds) than older respondents (42% agreement amongst those aged 65+).
The next myth: “Public chargers for EVs are unreliable and often out of order” is the one with, arguably, the most validity to it, although this is subjective. Each country has its own challenges in this regard, with the charging infrastructure, by consensus, probably worst in the UK, especially outside of London and the South East. So, it is unsurprising that UK homeowners have the highest level of agreement with the statement (53%). This is significantly higher than all other countries (Germany 42%, France 44%, the USA 44%) and suggests that the UK needs to improve its infrastructure or increase the awareness and education around the existing options. Again, there is a notable age trend here, with younger participants more inclined to believe the myth versus older participants (e.g., 52% of 18–24-year-olds agree vs. 44% of those aged 65+).
The myth with the lowest level of agreement among homeowners is: “EVs are so heavy they cause greater tyre wear which makes the problem of micro-plastics in the environment even worse.” While it’s true that electric cars are heavy, tyre ware hardly differs between EVs and ICE cars. Yet around a third of homeowners still agree with the statement.
It's also worth noting that some demographic variations emerge across all EV myths, for example, males consistently show a higher likelihood of myth-agreement compared to females. Meanwhile, respondents who deem themselves concerned about climate change are less prone to believing the myths compared to those who declare themselves to be less concerned, indicating environmentally conscious individuals have greater resilience against myth-spreaders.
ASHP Myths – Results
The most widely subscribed-to myth that we tested with homeowners was that “Heat pumps only work in highly insulated buildings.” Almost half of homeowners agreed with this contention, with the figure ranging from 36% in the USA to 65% in Germany. The UK figure was 45%. According to most evidence-based sources, heat pumps work well in nearly all building types although building insulation will bring down bills in any type of building, regardless of heating source.
The myth with the second highest buy-in overall was “Heat pumps won't get my house warm enough, especially in deep winter.” Agreement with this misinformed assertion ranged from 26% in France to 41% in the UK. Ironically, the country with the highest penetration of domestic heat pump installations is Norway, a far colder country than the UK. While heat pump efficiency can decline as temperatures drop, ASPHs always work more efficiently than gas boilers, which never have a coefficient of performance (COP) above 1, compared with heat pumps which typically perform with COPs of between 2 and 4, even in very cold weather. When it’s cold outside, ASHPs do have to work harder, but they still work well, particularly in homes with better insulation.
“Heat pumps are noisy” is less of a myth and more of a subjective view. The fact that ASHPs are located outdoors does impact perceptions. Between 23% (USA) and 38% (France) of homeowners subscribe to this belief. Prevalence of belief in this belief decreases with advancing age: for instance, among respondents aged 18-24, the rate is 46%; for those aged 25-34, it falls to 37%. This trend continues, with those aged 65+ showing the lowest level of belief at 27%.
The final myth was: “Heat pumps always require your home to have underfloor heating.” Homeowner agreement with this contention ranges from 17% (France) to 30% (Germany). In reality ASHPs also work well with radiators although small radiators do often end up getting upgraded to larger ones to allow the transmission of more heat given their lower typical operating temperature compared to gas systems. Again, there is a notable age trend, with younger respondents being more inclined to believe the myth versus older respondents (e.g., 42% of 18–24-year-olds agree vs. 14% of those aged 65+).
Comments / quotes
Dr Jan Rosenow, Director of European Programmes at the Regulatory Assistance Project and Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University. “This research shows that despite more and more evidence showing that heat pumps perform very well in a wide range of settings the myths about heat pumps are persistent. Factual and evidence-based information on heat pumps is more needed than ever before given the targets for mass heat pump deployment in the UK and elsewhere.”
Quentin Willson, the motoring Journalist, transport campaigner and founder FairCharge, commented, “This is excellent, but scary research. The FairCharge and Stop Burning Stuff campaigns have been saying how many of the more inaccurate EV myths have become deeply embedded and here's the proof from Electrify Research. Countering these inaccuracies is becoming ever more important to the energy transition.”
Auke Hoekstra, founder and director of the NEON research program, Eindhoven University of Technology. “As someone who is now trying to rectify misinformation about electric vehicles for over 15 years I know the myths abound, but I find the outcomes of this survey shocking. A 300 kg battery replaces around 30 tons of oil and can be recycled. Current batteries also outlast the car, which is why manufacturers are increasingly offering the ability to deliver energy back to your house or the grid so you can use your battery on wheels to reduce tension on the grid. Electric vehicles catch fire over ten times less than cars running on combustible fuels, and when they do they don’t suddenly explode. And yes, they are heavier and thus increase particulate matter, but batteries are getting about half as heavy every ten years so soon they won’t be heavier anymore, still apart from the fact that nobody complains on cars getting bigger and bigger for luxury reasons and exhaust is a lot worse for your health. How is it possible that people believe so much nonsense about electric vehicles? It’s almost as if there’s a group of people who don’t want you to like them”. [Note the NEON research program is a multidisciplinary research program addressing three interrelated societal challenges: climate action, renewable energy, and smart & sustainable transport]
Robert Llewelyn, Founder Fully Charged, “Sadly, misinformation works, and 'merchants of doubt' have been pouring myths about electric vehicles into the public discourse for decades. These results from Electrify Research show that for many it has muddied the waters. But, we are buoyed by the fact that sales of battery electric vehicles - that are already cleaner and greener than combustion engines, and becoming more so - are on the rise all around the world. A clear sign that over time, superior technology will win out, and society will profit from the environmental, health and lifestyle benefits that battery electric vehicles offer."
Ben Nelmes, CEO of New AutoMotive "There is a mountain of misinformation to be overcome before electric vehicles can go mainstream. Much of this is being promoted by organisations and individuals with an interest in delaying the inevitable transition to electric vehicles, and keeping people stuck in their polluting cars for longer. This report is a wake-up call for the government and industry to promote many benefits of electric vehicles; as a solution to the climate crisis but also to the cost-of-living crisis in which many motorists are increasingly having to choose between an empty tank or an empty wallet."
Leo Vincent, Policy Advisor at E3G, “Heat pumps have the potential to revolutionise the way we heat our homes, boosting green jobs, making the air we breathe cleaner, and binging down energy bills. The damaging divide and delay tactics of certain fossil fuel industry incumbents cannot be allowed to derail our efforts to create this better future.”
Ben Marks, MD of Electrify Research, “The findings here are worrying. They show that in four advanced and supposedly well-informed markets the myth makers are often winning. Myths serve only to create confusion and hesitancy in the adoption of technologies that are going to underpin our transition away from hydrocarbons. I think it is time to take stronger steps against the hydrocarbon lobby and the others who either, overtly or covertly, cook up and spread deliberate and self-serving misinformation”.
Electrify Research is committed to providing accurate and reliable data on homeowner attitudes to, and adoption of home electrification technologies. Our Home Electrification Tracker Survey involves thousands of interviews in multiple countries with homeowners every quarter,[iii].
END
Enquiries
Website www.electrifyresearch.co.uk
Contact Ben Marks, Managing Director, Electrify Research
Tel - 00 44 (0)7957 221 63
About Electrify Research
Electrify Research is a new insight agency dedicated to accelerating the electrification of homes through better understanding of homeowner decision-making. We run a unique quarterly tracking survey: the Home Electrification Tracking Survey, providing accurate and reliable data on homeowner attitudes to, and adoption of domestic electrification technologies. We provide subscribers with powerful online insight tools allowing them to compare homeowner views on electrification in the UK, USA, France and Germany.
Our analysis tools dig deep into questions around homeowner intentions and motivations around key transition technologies such as Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs), rooftop solar, home batteries and enabling investments such as in home insulation.
Electrify Research was set up in May 2023 by Ben Marks. Prior to founding Electrify Research, Ben was founder, owner and CEO of YouthSight, a youth insight agency and panel and data services company focused on Gen Z and Higher Education research. YouthSight was acquired by Savanta in April 2021, with Ben exiting Savanta in April 2022. Ben Marks is a Fellow of the Market Research Society.
ENDNOTES
[i] We interview 4,000 homeowners every quarter: 1000 per country in the UK, France, Germany and the USA.
[ii] It’s not for this press release to fully debunk these myths: there are many resources just a Google click away. For example this and this. Look at well researched and balanced sources online.
[iii] Homeowners are critical to the early adoption of EVs and ASHPs, hence our focus on them. In three of the four countries we cover, owner-occupied homes make up most of the housing stock [USA ~66%; UK ~65%; France ~63%; Germany ~33%]. Homeowners also tend to have higher disposable incomes and greater assets than renters meaning they are in a better position to meet the costs of domestic electrification either directly or via secured or unsecured loans. With ASHPs homeowners control their choice of heating system (renters are beholden to landlords) and with EVs, homeowners are more likely to have driveway rights, making charging easier, cheaper and reducing total cost of EV ownership.
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