Even EV owners believe misinformation about cars, study finds
By
Annika Burgess
, ABC
New study finds more people believe misinformation about EVs than disagree with it.
Photo:
ABC News / Brendan Esposito
Australians are buying more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever before, but even owners are still falling for misinformation about the battery-powered cars.
New research into public perceptions about EVs found myths had become deeply embedded in society and caught up in the culture wars.
Now more people believed misinformation about EVs than disagreed with it.
Drivers were particularly concerned about "discredited notions" that the vehicles were more likely to catch fire, and that batteries were designed to fail.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Nature Energy, was carried out in Australia, Germany, Austria, and the United States.
Researchers found that many people expressed "legitimate anxiety" that EV batteries may run out before reaching a destination.
But there were several misinformation-related concerns that were so "grounded in myth" even EV owners agreed with them.
Many people largely believed reports that batteries were made to be deliberately non-upgradeable.
Consumers were also under the impression that EVs emit electromagnetic fields that can damage health, are less safe in a collision, and produce more carbon emissions over a lifetime than traditional cars.
Chris Bretter from the University of Queensland, which led the study, described these types of claims as "demonstrably false".
"We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating, but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport," Bretter said.
"The fact that even EV owners were more likely than not to agree with misinformation underscores just how embedded it's become in society."
Many consumers believed EV batteries were deliberately made non-upgradeable
Photo:
ABC News / Kimberley Bernard
Media reports describing EVs as being highly combustive, "like a bomb" were contributing to fears about the cars' batteries catching fire, the researchers said.
There was also a tendency for misinformation to be spread in conservative communication channels, raising concerns about EV attitudes being "drawn into the culture wars".
"The fact that even owners had high levels of misinformation agreement underscores the extent to which misinformation has permeated the population," the report stated.
The survey found that having a conspiracy mentality was the main factor influencing beliefs.
The report said that suspicions could arise if there were perceived motives for government or industry to exaggerate the benefits of a technology and disguise its dangers.
"Given that EVs are a multi-billion-dollar industry frequently supported by emissions-sensitive governments, it seems plausible they could become targets of suspicion for those who see such relationships through the lens of corruption and secret agendas," the researchers said.
UQ Business School professor Matthew Hornsey said education played no role in whether survey respondents agreed with false information about EVs.
"The biggest predictor of whether a person accepted misinformation statements was actually conspiracy mentality - a tendency to believe conspiracies occur and seeing the world through a lens of corruption and secret agendas," Hornsey said.
"This same outlook has also been associated with opposition to science-backed technologies like vaccinations and wind farms.
"The results show public understanding of EVs has been distorted by an information landscape shaped by myths, selective framing and speculative reasoning," he said.
Researchers say attitudes about EVs were being drawn into the culture wars.
Photo:
ABC News / Jess Davis
The researchers tested strategies to reduce belief in EV misinformation, increase support for pro-EV policy and an intention to purchase the vehicles.
They provided information to consumers using a traditional fact sheet and conversations with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT.
Both were found to have success in reducing misinformation.
"Encouragingly, both strategies resulted in lower endorsement of EV misinformation, even 10 days on," Better said.
The researchers were particularly interested in the effect of dialogues with AI on public mistrust, and the results were encouraging.
It resulted in "large and durable decreases in individuals' conspiracy theorising".
"This is the first evidence that non-curated conversations with Generative AI can have positive effects on misinformation, showing its promise for possible future solution-focused interventions on a large scale," Bretter said.
"Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs."
The project also involved researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Psychology and the University of Hohenheim in Germany.
This research was supported by an ARC Laureate grant and a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation).
- This article was originally published by
ABC.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Waikato rocket builders to blast off in international comp
technology about 1 hour ago A group of amateur Waikato rocket scientists need a funding boost if they are going to make it all the way to international competitions, after a sucessful final practice launch of their creation, Takahe. The rocket built by the University of Waikato Astronautics Club will go up against other creations in the outback of New South Wales in August as part of the Aussie Universities Rocketary Competition. They've also got their hopes cast further afield, aiming for bigger competitions in the US. University of Waikato Astronautics Club president Reuben Buckley spoke to Lisa Owen.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Even EV owners believe misinformation about cars, study finds
By Annika Burgess , ABC New study finds more people believe misinformation about EVs than disagree with it. Photo: ABC News / Brendan Esposito Australians are buying more electric vehicles (EVs) than ever before, but even owners are still falling for misinformation about the battery-powered cars. New research into public perceptions about EVs found myths had become deeply embedded in society and caught up in the culture wars. Now more people believed misinformation about EVs than disagreed with it. Drivers were particularly concerned about "discredited notions" that the vehicles were more likely to catch fire, and that batteries were designed to fail. The peer-reviewed study, published in Nature Energy, was carried out in Australia, Germany, Austria, and the United States. Researchers found that many people expressed "legitimate anxiety" that EV batteries may run out before reaching a destination. But there were several misinformation-related concerns that were so "grounded in myth" even EV owners agreed with them. Many people largely believed reports that batteries were made to be deliberately non-upgradeable. Consumers were also under the impression that EVs emit electromagnetic fields that can damage health, are less safe in a collision, and produce more carbon emissions over a lifetime than traditional cars. Chris Bretter from the University of Queensland, which led the study, described these types of claims as "demonstrably false". "We know this sort of false information is out there and circulating, but the scale of acceptance is concerning and poses a significant challenge to the global transition to more sustainable transport," Bretter said. "The fact that even EV owners were more likely than not to agree with misinformation underscores just how embedded it's become in society." Many consumers believed EV batteries were deliberately made non-upgradeable Photo: ABC News / Kimberley Bernard Media reports describing EVs as being highly combustive, "like a bomb" were contributing to fears about the cars' batteries catching fire, the researchers said. There was also a tendency for misinformation to be spread in conservative communication channels, raising concerns about EV attitudes being "drawn into the culture wars". "The fact that even owners had high levels of misinformation agreement underscores the extent to which misinformation has permeated the population," the report stated. The survey found that having a conspiracy mentality was the main factor influencing beliefs. The report said that suspicions could arise if there were perceived motives for government or industry to exaggerate the benefits of a technology and disguise its dangers. "Given that EVs are a multi-billion-dollar industry frequently supported by emissions-sensitive governments, it seems plausible they could become targets of suspicion for those who see such relationships through the lens of corruption and secret agendas," the researchers said. UQ Business School professor Matthew Hornsey said education played no role in whether survey respondents agreed with false information about EVs. "The biggest predictor of whether a person accepted misinformation statements was actually conspiracy mentality - a tendency to believe conspiracies occur and seeing the world through a lens of corruption and secret agendas," Hornsey said. "This same outlook has also been associated with opposition to science-backed technologies like vaccinations and wind farms. "The results show public understanding of EVs has been distorted by an information landscape shaped by myths, selective framing and speculative reasoning," he said. Researchers say attitudes about EVs were being drawn into the culture wars. Photo: ABC News / Jess Davis The researchers tested strategies to reduce belief in EV misinformation, increase support for pro-EV policy and an intention to purchase the vehicles. They provided information to consumers using a traditional fact sheet and conversations with generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT. Both were found to have success in reducing misinformation. "Encouragingly, both strategies resulted in lower endorsement of EV misinformation, even 10 days on," Better said. The researchers were particularly interested in the effect of dialogues with AI on public mistrust, and the results were encouraging. It resulted in "large and durable decreases in individuals' conspiracy theorising". "This is the first evidence that non-curated conversations with Generative AI can have positive effects on misinformation, showing its promise for possible future solution-focused interventions on a large scale," Bretter said. "Given the global need to transition toward more sustainable transport options, it is crucial we address the prevalence of misinformation about energy efficient technologies like EVs." The project also involved researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Psychology and the University of Hohenheim in Germany. This research was supported by an ARC Laureate grant and a grant from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation). - This article was originally published by ABC.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
New Zealand Defence Force using US Army wargame simulation software DATE
The US Army created this official training environment, called the Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE), in 2023 and the NZDF joined it soon after. Photo: TRADOC / US Army The New Zealand army is using US Army software that offers "worlds of wargames" simulations to help run massive real-world international military exercises. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is this coming week embarking on one such exercise, sending about 700 soldiers to Talisman Sabre , a 35,000-strong Australian-US bilateral operation across the Tasman. It was also recently on a US-led exercise that used scenarios where militaries could choose from barely disguised pseudo-countries called, for instance, Olvana and Himaldesh, and click to set how intense the wargame would be. The US Army created this official training environment, called the Decisive Action Training Environment (DATE), in 2023 and the NZDF joined it soon after. One "world" it offers is the Indo-Pacific. "NZ Army has recently adopted DATE- INDOPACIFIC to define its training adversary, capabilities and tactics," the NZDF said last year. It has its own tab inserted into Australia's version of DATE. One "world" it offers is the Indo-Pacific. Photo: TRADOC / US Army One scenario offered there was "NZ operating as part of an ANZAC Division supported by elms [elements] of the SOUTH TORBIAN Army against a NORTH TORBIAN adversary fighting in SOUTH TORBIA". On maps, Torbia corresponded to the Philippines, while Olvana corresponded to most of China. The US Army said DATE provided a "foundational narrative" for wargames. "By continuously updating DATE World to reflect the evolving operational environment, the US Army ensures its soldiers are prepared to fight and win anywhere in the world," it said in the introduction. The US Army had control over updating the "worlds". Enemy forces were "realistically modelled", it said. The narrative about Olvana said it "maintains the largest military in the Pacific region" and "Olvana has successfully closed the technological gap that once separated it from Western militaries". Olvana had nuclear missiles, the game said, which laid out an elaborate force structure. The New Zealand version displayed a fake United Nations resolution that condemned the "Olvanan invasion of Belesia" and demanded withdrawal. The other worlds offered include Africa, Eurasia and Polar. The gamer enemy's capabilities would "continuously evolve to reflect the contemporary geostrategic situation", the NZDF site said. Real countries could be used as friendly or neutral actors, but "real countries cannot be used as belligerents in unclassified scenarios". DATE was also recently on a US-led exercise that used scenarios where militaries could choose from barely disguised pseudo-countries. Photo: TRADOC / US Army Links at the NZDF tab take a user back to the US site. Australia's version gives the capital of Olvana as Shanghai. The US Army unit behind DATE, called Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), said it helped army forces "out-think and outmanoeuvre adversaries". In April it put out a 42-page report titled " How China Fights in Large-Scale Combat Operations " that was disseminated to all US partners. The report would "drive curriculum development... support the writing of Army doctrine, and enhance the realism and relevance of US Army training scenarios". The growing threat from China has been an underlying theme in documents about several recent Pentagon initiatives to which New Zealand has signed up. One is Project Convergence, where NZDF took part for the first time last year, within a DATE world. The exercise was "pivotal", the NZDF said. "Engaging live Opposing Force (OPFOR) based on the ... DATE tactics which tested participants and pushed the capabilities in play to their limits. "It marks a significant milestone in New Zealand military collaboration and technological advancement." For this year's Project Convergence, the NZDF went to Texas to help the US plan the main exercise, briefed the US Army Futures Command afterwards and had to have all its technology vetted by the Americans, a response to a request under the Official Information Act (OIA) said. A "detailed enemy will be built across tactical and strategic activities", NZ Army records said. Its top objective at Convergence 2025 was to experiment with integrating its "Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Electronic Warfare" capabilities into the multinational force, the response said. The Pentagon initiatives New Zealand had joined were noted in an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Friday from several prominent people including Helen Clark and Don Brash . "More recently, the United States has described China not only as a competitor, but also as an adversary, and has been putting pressure on other countries to take sides," they wrote. They said the government was "positioning New Zealand alongside the United States as an adversary of China". "For example, since coming to office, your government has signed New Zealand up to a number of strategic groupings led by the United States." A footnote cited an opinion article in which Clark and an AUT historian Dr Marco de Jong said the groupings included the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) to link defence supply chains, and Project Overmatch which is the US Navy's equivalent of Project Convergence. RNZ first revealed New Zealand had signed up to these. The government did not publicly announce these moves. Another initiative that Clark and Brash and the other letter writers mentioned, was joining the elite space security group Operation Olympic Defender - the government did announce this last October, though it said more about its scientific than military links. Integrating its allies is now a top Pentagon priority. "The US is looking to advance its priorities through 'integrated deterrence': Using all levers of national power seamlessly with Allies and partners across the spectrum of conflict and warfighting domains into all theatres," its 2022 national defence strategy said. "Outside of AUKUS, the DoD (Pentagon) is not adequately integrating key allies and partners, thereby leaving significant resources and capabilities underutilized. Integrating emerging partners into its collaborative innovation network should be a top priority for the DoD," a Pentagon report on innovation said last year. ABC News in Australia last week headlined a story " Is the US preparing for war in the Pacific ?" "To counter a resurgent China, the US is racing to revitalise remote airstrips in the Pacific Ocean," it said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
