A German study shows that electric cars are stopped by significantly fewer breakdowns than diesel and gasoline cars. However, they have battery problems in common.
The debate about electric cars versus cars with combustion engines is not just about performance and CO2 emissions.
Reliability is also an important factor. According to Europe's largestroadside assistance organization , the German ADAC, electric cars seem to be doing the best in that battle. ADAC's crash data shows a clear trend that gives electric cars an advantage over gasoline cars.
The organization's employees, known as "The Yellow Angels," responded to over 3.6 million crashes last year.
The collected details from each call. The large amount of data shows that electric cars have fewer breakdowns than cars with combustion engines.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, electric cars experienced 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. That figure was 10.4 for cars with combustion engines in the same age group, according to figures from ADAC.
ADAC announced for the first time in 2024 that they had enough data to assess the reliability of electric cars. The conclusion was already in favor of electric cars then. With another year of data, that conclusion has only become stronger.
Although ADAC received more calls about electric cars than ever before, they only accounted for 43,678 out of a total of 3.6 million calls. This corresponds to just 1.2 percent of all calls.
The 12-volt battery: The big culprit for all cars
The increase in recalls for electric cars is likely due to the increased popularity of electric cars. More electric cars on the road means more potential recalls. The results are also considered to be more accurate now that some of the electric cars are older.
The most common problem for both powertrain types was the same. It was the 12-volt battery. The small battery was the cause of 50 percent of breakdowns for electric cars.
For cars with combustion engines, the 12-volt battery was responsible for 45 percent of breakdowns, making it a widespread problem across technologies.
If you look at other categories in recent years, cars with internal combustion engines have had more or just as many problems.
This applies to the electrical system and engine management, for example. The car's lights also give rise to more recalls for combustion cars.
The ADAC study is based on a solid data base. Employees recorded details from every one of the more than 3.6 million assistance calls.
ADAC data: More than 3.6 million calls
The German automobile club ADAC is a large organization. Their data gives a good picture of the reliability of cars in Europe.
The many recalls provide a statistical basis for comparing different car types and years. This is the data that shows the better reliability of newer electric cars.
It is worth noting that the primary problem for electric cars is not the high-voltage battery itself that powers the car.
Instead, it is the traditional 12-volt battery, which is also found in petrol and diesel cars. It supplies the car's basic electrical systems.
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