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- People were asked 10 separate statements about EVs
- More than half scored two or less out of 10
- The misinformation has increased in some areas in just 12 months
A majority of people who don’t drive electric vehicles (EVs) mistakenly believe myths and things that aren’t true about them, according to a new poll by YouGov.
The new poll, which YouGov ran with with the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), found that when asked if 10 separate statements about EVs were true or false, more than half (51%) of non-EV drivers scored two or less out of 10 right, with 84% getting five or less right, while 5% scored eight or more out of 10.
For example: less than a quarter of non-EV drivers (23%) think that a petrol car is more likely to catch fire than an EV. On top of that 46% think an EV is more to do so.
Colin Walker, head of transport, ECIU said there was a real danger misinformation could stop people switching to an EV.
“Poll after poll finds that EV drivers love their cars and wouldn’t go back to petrol, but a constant stream of misinformation is skewing non-EV drivers’ knowledge of EVs, with two-thirds not knowing that EVs are cheaper to own and run than petrol cars,” he said.
“It’s clear that many are holding back from making the shift to EVs, leaving families across the UK struck driving petrol and diesel cars that cost hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds more to run right in the midst of a cost of living squeeze.”
A previous report from the house of Lords published in 2024 described a “concerted campaign of misinformation” around EVs.
The polling found that:
- People who scored poorly in the test (two or less out of 10) are more than 17 times more likely to want their next car to be something other than an EV
- People who scored well (eight of more out of 10) are three times more likely to want their next car to be an EV than anything else
- People who scored well are almost 14 times more likely to want their next car to be an EV than those who scored badly
Previous polling on the same questions in 2024 suggested that petrol car drivers’ misunderstanding of EVs is getting worse in some areas, according to Walker:
- In 2024, 35% of non-EV drivers inaccurately thought that the total lifetime emissions of an EV are the same as petrol cars and are, in fact, around 3x less. In 2025, that figure increased to 40%
- In 2024, 45% of people inaccurately thought that more natural resources are extracted from the earth to build and fuel an EV than are extracted to build and fuel a petrol car. In 2025, more than half (53%) of non-EV drivers now inaccurately believe this
- In 2024, 41% thought that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, and in 2025, this figure rose to 46%.
Walker continued that the UK is a front runner for encouraging drivers to switch to EVs, meaning the nation’s driving bill is coming down faster than other countries.
He said that the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is increasing competition between manufacturers and bringing down the upfront cost of new EVs, and some EVs, such as the Renault 5, are now cheaper to buy than their petrol counterparts.
“This is driving up sales, which will, in turn, feed the secondhand market where most of us buy our cars. Secondhand EVs are already at price parity with petrol cars, meaning families across the UK are able to start enjoying savings from the moment they get their hands on the keys,” he said.
Walker also commented that the drive to switch to EVs is more paramount than ever following the latest instability in the Middle East, and the US-Iran conflict.
“The conflict is once again illustrating how using oil to power our cars leaves UK drivers exposed to international markets over which we have no control, even with new drilling,” he said.
“And while petrol car drivers face paying higher prices at the pump, EV drivers will continue to be able to drive their cars for as little as 2p per mile.”
