Buying an electric car model can sometimes be difficult due to the different options, whether it is a fully electric vehicle, a hybrid or even a plug-in hybrid. Here you can find out which one would be the most reliable according to an American report.
Consumer Reports compared more than 330,000 gasoline or electric vehicles from 2000 to 2023 and some models already on the market from 2024. They asked their owners about the problems they had with their cars in the past year.
Thus, the report allows comparison of more trivial problems, such as squeaky brakes, with more serious problems such as engine problems or even problems charging batteries and electric cars.
Therefore, according to Consumer Reports, 100% electric vehicles would be the most reliable compared to other models in this category. In fact, they would only represent 12 potential problems.
“Classic problems with combustion engines, for example in connection with the engine and transmission, are not taken into account,” it said.
Conversely, plug-in hybrid vehicles could experience up to 20 potential problems, some of which are related to the electric motor or even the vehicle’s charging.
According to the study, this type of vehicle could have greater problems because it combines combustion engines with an electric drive, which would create additional complexity.
Hybrid vehicles have 19 potential problems, mostly related to the vehicle’s electric motor and battery.
For comparison, there are 17 potential problems with conventional combustion engine cars.
79% more problems than gas cars
According to the report, electric vehicles cause 79% more problems than gasoline cars. For plug-in hybrid vehicles, the number increases to 146% more problems.
Conversely, hybrid vehicles would have 26% fewer problems than conventional gasoline cars.
“It’s really a story of growing pains,” said Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports, in an interview with CBS News. “It is the story of a new technology whose problems and shortcomings we are trying to solve.”