Manufacturers have been called upon to increase the reliability of electric cars after What? found that they are less reliable and spend longer off-road than petrol, diesel and hybrids when in need of repair.
The annual Consumer Champion Car Survey found that of cars up to four years old, almost one in three (31%) owners of electric vehicles reported one or more malfunctions, compared to less than one in five ( 19%) petrol cars.
Then the owners of these defective electric cars had to stay without their cars for an average of more than five days while repairing, which compared to only three days for gasoline equivalents.
The most common mistakes made by electric car drivers in the study were software problems, but not problems with electric motors or batteries that power vehicles.
“Carmakers, make your electric vehicles more reliable”: This is the message from the consumer monitoring organization Who? after finding that EV owners are more likely to suffer from malfunctions than drivers of petrol, diesel and hybrid models
A survey of more than 48,000 car owners in the UK found that conventional self-refueling hybrids are the most reliable car of any type, with only one in six (17 per cent) owners reporting a bug with “new” aged cars. up to four years old during the predominant 12 months.
Gasolines were the next most reliable, with only 19 percent of newer model owners reporting problems, followed by additive hybrids (28 percent).
Diesel cars have been found to be slightly more reliable than electric cars, with 29% of drivers reporting problems with their oil burners.
| Cars aged 0-4 years | Cars with one or more faults | Cars with one or more breakdowns / failures | Average number of days off road (over 12 months) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Generally | 22.3% | 4.9% | 3.6 |
| Conventional hybrid | 17.3% | 5.6% | 3.9 |
| Gasoline | 18.6% | 3.5% | 3 |
| Plug-in hybrid | 27.5% | 5.4% | 4.2 |
| diesel | 29.1% | 6.9% | 3.8 |
| Electric | 31.4% | 8.1% | 5.1 |
| Source: Who? based on the results of the 2021 car survey of 48,034 car owners | |||
Lisa Barber, Home Products and Services Editor at Who? He said: “We know that drivers want to switch to greener cars, but it is vital that they get a quality product.”
She added: “Especially with electric cars, our research shows that the price of first-class price does not necessarily mean a reliable vehicle, so we would always encourage drivers to do their research before such a significant purchase to see which cars and brands can to trust. ‘
While the report paints an unreliable picture for purely electric models, which ones? recognizes that most of them are software problems and not serious malfunctions with batteries or parts of the drive that powers the vehicle.
This means that most of the problems are probably with the screens of infotainment systems and other electrical functions, such as reversing cameras.
RAC warned that Who’s findings? “Should be taken with a pinch of salt” and that many of these raised software issues can be easy to resolve.
James Gibson, technical director of the automotive organization, said: “There is no doubt that electric cars have fewer moving parts, which makes them more reliable than a petrol or diesel car in the long run, but it is also true that the software works. they are more complex, which can cause some problems.
But it’s very important to realize that most software problems can be solved easily, either through wireless updates or “reboots” in the same way as a desktop computer, simply by turning off the 12v extra battery and “rebooting” the system, something which our experts routinely patrol does for our members in these situations.
“Many manufacturers are also able to help drivers solve problems over the phone by getting them to perform certain functions to restart systems.
“While returning a new electric car to the dealership is obviously disappointing, it can happen with any new car, no matter how it is powered.”
Kia’s e-Niro (pictured) was rated by owners as the most reliable of all compact SUVs, regardless of fuel type
Only 6% of e-Niro owners report any malfunction in their car and only one in 100 say their car has not caught fire or been damaged
What ?: “Manufacturers should follow Kia’s example”
A survey of drivers in the UK also revealed that some examples of electric cars have been almost completely flawless in the last 12 months of use.
One of them is Kia’s e-Niro (2019-present), which starts at £ 32,895.
It was not only the most reliable of all electric cars, but also the most reliable compact SUV – one of the most popular and fastest growing segments of the automotive market – of any type of fuel in the report.
Only one in 17 (6 percent) e-Niro owners report a malfunction in their car, and only one in 100 say their car has not caught fire or been damaged.
However, the few unfortunates who have had a problem have faced an average of about eight and a half days while their car is off the road, indicating that there is still work to be done to improve repair time when things go wrong.
“Despite the high rate of malfunctions reported by electric car owners in the study, Kia has proven that electric cars have the potential to be very reliable,” the user said.
‘Who? calls on other car manufacturers to improve their game and improve the quality of their cars.
“Manufacturers need to gain the trust of drivers to encourage them to move to more sustainable cars.”
Barber added: “While it is disappointing to see that electric vehicles as a group are the least reliable, Kia’s e-Niro shows that there is a significant opportunity for manufacturers to improve their game and provide drivers with a reliable and more sustainable car. “
Tesla has already called for the £ 80,000 Model S sedan (pictured) to be withdrawn after identifying problems with door handles and locks
The study of Which? also found that Tesla is the least reliable of all EV brands, although its cars have first-class prices.
In cars under the age of four, two-fifths (39 percent) of Teslas had at least one breakdown, and one in 20 (5 percent) had a breakdown or failed to start.
Who? previously called for the Tesla Model S sedan (2013-present), which starts at £ 79,980, to be withdrawn due to problems with door handles and locks for two years in a row. On the positive side, Tesla has had its cars off-road for just under three and a half days on average when they needed repairs.
Aside from calling for improved EV reliability, which? also recently called for the quality and provision of charging infrastructure to be significantly improved.
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