US Edition
9 Myths About Electric Vehicles Have Taken Hold. A New Study Shows How Many People Fall for Them
- A study led by researchers from the University of Queensland and published in June 2025 revealed that misinformation about electric vehicles is widespread across Australia, the United States, Germany, and Austria.
- Researchers attributed this misinformation largely to conspiracy mentality, a distrust framed by beliefs in corruption and secret agendas, which affected agreement with false EV claims regardless of education.
- The study revealed that many people, including numerous EV owners, mistakenly believe that electric vehicles have a higher risk of battery fires, emit harmful electromagnetic radiation, and generate greater overall emissions compared to petrol-powered cars.
- Researchers tested interventions using traditional fact sheets and conversations with ChatGPT, both of which significantly lowered misinformation endorsement and increased support for pro-EV policies and purchase intentions, effects lasting at least 10 days.
- The findings suggest that addressing misinformation is crucial for advancing sustainable transport, and that AI-powered dialogues show promise as scalable tools to reduce false beliefs about EVs.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Mapping, understanding and reducing belief in misinformation about electric vehicles
Misinformation about electric vehicles (EVs) poses significant challenges to the global transition to energy efficient transportation. We investigated the prevalence of misinformation about EVs, predictors of misinformation endorsement and two potential interventions for reducing its impact. Surveys across four countries (Studies 1 and 2, N = 6,341) revealed that more respondents agreed with misinformation statements about EVs than disagreed wit…
Most people believe misinformation about electric vehicles, international survey finds
More people believe misinformation about electric vehicles (EVs) than disagree with it, according to surveys of four countries, including Australia, Germany, Austria, and the US. The survey found having a conspiracy mentality was the main factor influencing such beliefs, the authors say.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 44% of the sources are Center
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
