A new study has revealed that nearly half of Australians mistakenly believe electric vehicles (EVs) are more prone to catching fire than petrol or diesel cars, highlighting the impact of misinformation on the adoption of low-emission vehicles.
Researchers from the University of Queensland and three German institutions surveyed over 6,300 people across Australia, the US, Germany, and Austria. The findings, published in the Springer Nature Energy journal, showed that 47% of Australians accepted the false claim that EVs are more likely to catch fire, while 44% believed EV batteries are deliberately non-upgradeable.
Overall, more than a third of Australians (35%) agreed with various EV misinformation statements, slightly below the international average of 36%. Other widely believed myths included that EV manufacturing emissions outweigh their lower running emissions (35%) and that EV accidents are under-reported (26%).
Dr Chris Bretter, an environmental psychologist and co-author, said the scale of acceptance is concerning. “The misinformation statements we tested included that EVs are more likely to catch fire than petrol cars, do not produce emission savings and emit electromagnetic fields that damage health – all claims which are demonstrably false,” he said.
The study also found that people with a “conspiracy mentality” were most likely to believe EV myths, along with those with weaker environmental views, women, and older participants. Interventions using fact sheets and AI chatbots like ChatGPT showed modest success in correcting false beliefs, but those with strong conspiracy tendencies remained resistant.
The findings align with a separate NRMA report that found two in three Australians are concerned about EV battery fires, despite low incident rates. According to EV Firesafe, only eight EV fires were reported in Australia up to November 2024, with one cause unknown.
