Why an Electric Vehicle Is Not Simply a Petrol Car with a Battery
At the age of seventy-seven, I have owned more than twenty cars. Since 1990, almost all of them have been bought new, but only the last two have been electric vehicles.
My motoring life began with a Volvo 122S. I later enjoyed the unmistakable sound and character of a Mark 2 Jaguar, a Daimler 420 and an XJ6. These were followed by a six-cylinder Volvo, several Hyundai Sonatas, numerous company cars and, finally, a delightful MG HS SUV—my last vehicle powered solely by an internal-combustion engine.
I enjoyed them all. Each matched my circumstances, priorities and needs at the time.
By 2022, however, I had concluded that an electric vehicle suited my present pattern of driving better than a petrol or diesel car. I seldom travel very long distances, return home on roughly 350 days of the year and am generally away only for holidays. Most of my charging can therefore be done conveniently at home.
My decision was not based on ideology. It was based on practicality.
Surrounded by Conflicting Claims
Electric cars now attract an extraordinary amount of commentary, particularly on social media. Some criticism is based on genuine concern or lack of experience. Some comes from outdated information, and some appears deliberately exaggerated.
The debate frequently begins with a basic misunderstanding: an electric car is not simply an internal-combustion vehicle whose engine has been replaced by a battery.
It is a fundamentally different form of propulsion.
A petrol or diesel vehicle must bring together several processes before it can move. The battery must provide sufficient power to operate the starter motor. The engine must turn, fuel must be delivered, and ignition or compression must occur correctly.
In older petrol cars, starting could be prevented by wet or carbonised spark plugs, an incorrect plug gap, a worn distributor component, a blocked carburettor or a failing fuel pump. Modern cars have replaced many mechanical components with electronic management systems, but failures can still occur in sensors, injectors, pumps, ignition systems and control modules.
The engine also contains many components operating continuously under heat, pressure and friction. Pistons, rings, cylinders, valves, bearings, timing components and lubrication systems must all continue to work together.
Oil is essential to reduce wear and carry heat and contamination away from moving surfaces. Depending on the transmission, the car may also require a clutch, gearbox and other mechanical components to transmit engine power to the wheels.
Producing and Using Electricity
An internal-combustion car also needs an electrical system.
Once the engine is running, an alternator produces electricity. Although the alternator generates alternating current internally, this is rectified and regulated to supply the vehicle’s low-voltage electrical system and recharge its battery.
The petrol or diesel engine must therefore support not only propulsion but also lighting, ventilation, electronics, window heating and numerous accessories.
Cabin heating traditionally uses heat that the engine already produces. Engine coolant absorbs that heat and passes through a small heat exchanger, while a fan blows warmed air into the passenger compartment.
That system works well once the engine has warmed up, but it explains why a conventional car may take time to heat the cabin or clear an icy windscreen. Many drivers start the engine and leave it idling while the car warms and the windows defrost.
An electric vehicle does not need a hot engine before it can produce cabin heat. Depending on the model, it uses an electric resistance heater, a heat pump or a combination of the two. Many EVs can also be heated or cooled in advance while still connected to the charger.
A Simpler Drivetrain
A battery-electric car still has many conventional automotive components. It requires tyres, wheels, steering, suspension, brakes, windscreen washers, heating, air conditioning, lights and safety systems.
The major difference lies in the drivetrain.
Instead of an engine containing numerous components moving through repeated cycles of combustion, an EV uses a traction battery, power electronics and one or more electric motors. It normally has no engine oil, spark plugs, exhaust system, fuel injectors, timing belt or conventional multi-speed gearbox.
This does not make an electric car maintenance-free. Tyres wear, brake fluid deteriorates, suspension components can fail, air-conditioning systems need attention, software may require updating and the battery cooling system must remain effective.
However, the electric drivetrain has fewer moving parts and fewer routine fluids and service items. Regenerative braking can also reduce wear on conventional brake pads and discs, although the braking system must still be inspected and maintained.
A Challenge for the Servicing Industry
The growth of electric vehicles presents a genuine challenge for garages and the wider motor trade.
For more than a century, workshops have earned substantial income from oil changes, filters, exhausts, clutches, timing belts, engine repairs and gearbox work. Many of those requirements disappear or become less frequent with a battery-electric car.
At the same time, garages wishing to work safely on EVs must invest in technician training, insulated equipment, diagnostic systems and procedures for dealing with high-voltage components.
That transition costs money. It is therefore understandable that some people within the established servicing industry regard the change with caution.
This does not mean that every criticism of electric cars is commercially motivated. Many objections are reasonable and deserve honest answers. EVs do not suit every driver, every journey, every property or every budget.
But the debate should be based on how the technology actually works, rather than assuming that an EV must behave exactly like the petrol or diesel car it may replace.
Choosing the Right Technology for the Driver
I have no wish to rewrite the pleasure I gained from the cars I owned previously. The Jaguar, Daimler, Volvo, Hyundai and MG vehicles each served me well.
The correct car is the one that matches the owner’s needs at that point in life.
For a driver covering very high daily mileages, towing regularly, living without reliable access to charging or buying at a particular price point, an internal-combustion or hybrid vehicle may remain the most practical choice.
For someone such as me—driving modest annual mileage, returning home most nights and able to charge economically overnight—an electric vehicle makes considerable sense.
That is the argument I develop in Blowing the Myths on Electric Cars. The book examines common claims about range, charging, stationary power use, battery life, component recycling, servicing and the practical costs of ownership.
It is neither an advertisement for electric vehicles nor an attack on internal combustion. It is an attempt to separate reasonable concerns from repeated myths and to help each reader decide which technology best suits their own life.