- One-fifth of car owners surveyed have doubts about mixing water with EVs.
- Younger people are more afraid than the over-50s.
- Washing an EV no more dangerous than an ICE car, say experts.
A UK survey has revealed widespread misunderstanding about how resistant electric vehicles (EVs) are to water, with 20% of respondents agreeing with the statement: “If I were to wash an electric car, I fear there might be a risk of receiving an electric shock.”
Full disclosure: there's an agenda at work here, with the 1000-person survey commissioned by British car-care company Autoglym. But the results are surprising/strange all the same.
The fear of mixing EVs with water is even more pronounced among younger drivers, with almost half (46%) of those aged 25-34, and 40% of those aged 18-24, agreeing with the statement.
Older drivers are less likely to be apprehensive about sustaining a shock when washing an EV, with just 8% of those aged 55-64 agreeing.
“We know that the world of EVs can be a mystery to some," says Autoglym techical training manager Lee Irving, "but making sure that the misconceptions are rectified is extremely important, especially as we’re all being encouraged to make the switch to this new form of clean mobility.
"While we recommend owners avoid flooding an EV’s charging port with water, cleaning one is no more dangerous than cleaning a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle.”
If uncertain, car owners are encouraged to refer to their vehicle’s manufacturer for guidance on cleaning around the charge port area of their EV.