Electric cars are still too prone to malfunctions, study finds

In its annual report on vehicle malfunctions in Britain, Which? does not give pride of place to electric cars
and software is the biggest problem.

However, if the Tesla are singled out, the Kia e-Niro is, for example, designated as the most reliable SUV, all types of engine combined.

Nearly a quarter of electric cars owned by respondents are Teslas

The results of a massive survey have just been released, and that’s not going to cause EV skeptics to change their minds. Which? questioned 48,034 Britons with a total of 56,853 vehicles about the reliability of their means of transport in 2021. And on the list of the most frequent breakdowns such as days of consecutive stops, electric cars are at the top.

These account for 31.4% of breakdowns suffered by respondents over the past 12 months, ahead of diesel vehicles with 29.1%, and plug-in hybrids which account for 27.5%. Petrol vehicles, with only 18.1% of breakdowns, are far behind. Moreover, electric cars are the ones that remain immobilized the longest due to a breakdown, with an average of 5.1 days, ahead of plug-in hybrids and ” full » hybrids, with respectively 4.2 and 3.9 days on the flank. Gasoline, with only 3 days of breakdown on average, is the one that finds the roads the fastest.

Finally, electric cars are the ones with the most start-up problems, noted at least once a year by 8.1% of respondents, ahead of diesel models with 6.9%, and full hybrids, accounting for 5.6% of respondents. But curiously, it is not the motors or the batteries that cause so much harm to electric vehicles.

Nearly a quarter of electric cars owned by respondents are Teslas

Indeed, 23% of respondents who own an electric vehicle have a Tesla, all models combined. And it must be said, as noted by car expert Adrian Porter in charge of the investigation, that the firm is not known for its reliability in terms of software, whether in terms of screens or even the seat belt. security . Because, beyond Tesla, it is the internal software that causes the most breakdowns in electric vehicles. There is also a continuity in the figures between vehicles aged zero to four years, and those aged four to nine years.

Fortunately, the Kia e-Niro restores the image of electric models. The South Korean manufacturer has managed to put on wheels, according to the survey, the most reliable SUV on the market, all engines combined. Indeed, only 1% of respondents said they had experienced a starting problem with their e-Niro in 2021, and 6.2% reported a defect in the last twelve months. always according to Which?11.1% of British respondents own a Kia electric vehicle, which puts the firm in third position, behind Nissan (14.5%).

Source: Which?