Electric cars break down more than petrol vehicles, warns AA
Electric cars are breaking down more often than petrol and diesel vehicles, the Automobile Association (AA) has warned.
Jakob Pfaudler, boss of the breakdown service, said electric vehicles (EVs) were prone not only to punctures and flat batteries, but also to a host of specific problems such as jammed charging cables and technical glitches.
He said: 'There's a common misconception that electric vehicles break down less frequently than petrol and diesel vehicles.
'Currently, at least, that is not the case. The breakdown rate is, in fact, slightly higher for electric vehicles than for internal combustion-engine vehicles.'
Edmund King, AA president, added that EV drivers were often flustered by the technology and respond to warning lights by immediately shutting down their cars on the roadside.
That is unlike petrol motorists, he said, who were more likely to drive to the nearest garage when confronted with an oil pressure alert.
However, Mr King added that around 80pc of breakdowns involving EVs could be dealt with at the roadside, with technicians able to fix problems such as computer glitches through a simple reboot.
Instances of EVs catching fire because of issues around their lithium-ion batteries were also rare, he said, while call-outs for vehicles running out of charge have fallen from 7pc of AA's total to around 2pc. That is largely thanks to the increased roll-out of chargers across the UK, although the percentage is still twice the amount for conventional cars running out of petrol or diesel.
The AA said it had been forced to spend more than £10m over the past two years to train its 3,000 employees to a level where they can assist EV drivers and deal with the cars' high-voltage equipment.
The firm has also invested in a programme analysing data and software from EVs to better understand issues surrounding the health of motors and batteries.
However, Mr Pfaudler said he was reluctant to commit too much money to EVs given the recent drop in sales.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Top Gear
3 hours ago
- Top Gear
Stellantis is planning a three-speed gearbox for EV off-roading
Stellantis is planning a three-speed gearbox for EV off-roading Carmaking MegaCorp's patent application outlines a route to more electron-propelled traction and towing capacity Skip 3 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. 1 / 3 Stellantis is planning a three-speed gearbox to give its electric cars better off-road smarts. Yeehaw! In the offing since October 2023, the carmaking MegaCorp's patent application has now been approved. The rather interesting tech involves three planetary gear sets – each doing the usual dance with a sun gear, ring gear and planetary carrier – plus three "selectively engagable" clutches that configure the system with a differential, and give 2-Lo, 4-Lo, 2-Hi or 4-Hi drive options, just as you'd get with an ICE off-roader. Advertisement - Page continues below The carmaker states how the single-speed transmission in typical electric cars is "unable to provide sustained high torque for trail and desert driving or various other speeds". The mechanical trickery in this design – able to be mounted to the front, rear or both axles – is all about giving EVs the traction they need beyond the school runs and supermarket dashes. Heavy towing? Check. Vehicle recovery? Check. Low-speed crawling on fun-inducing gradients terrifying to the naked eye? You bet. The drive system will not only help on snowy or sandy surfaces, it'll even help you tackle a bit of stump removal one Bank Holiday weekend. Fancy that. Stellantis hasn't confirmed which model it's eyeing specifically for the gearbox, but we'd take a punt on the Jeep Avenger, Jeep Recon or even Fiat Grande Panda 4x4 being in the mix. What do you reckon? Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*
Scottish Sun
10 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
EVs ‘more likely to break down and leave drivers stranded than petrol or diesel cars,' damning report reveals
Costs for their repairs could be lower though ELECTRIC SHOCK EVs 'more likely to break down and leave drivers stranded than petrol or diesel cars,' damning report reveals ELECTRIC vehicles are reported to be more likely to breakdown on the road than cars with petrol or diesel engines, according to research. A survey of nearly 30,000 drivers looked into their experiences with breakdowns over the past two years. 3 The survey found 16.8 per cent of battery car drivers experienced a break down recently Credit: PA 3 This compares to 10.7 per cent of petrol car owners who reported a break down. Credit: PA The Reliability Survey conducted by What Car? in association with MotorEasy looked at a comparison of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars in terms of whether they were likely to break down, as well as be fixed or towed. Overall, 11% of respondents of the survey had suffered a fault in the last 24 months that made it undriveable. A similar figure of 10.7 per cent of petrol car owners reported a break down in this time, which is a significantly lower rate than batter car owners. Hybrid and diesel cars were also at a lower rate, at 14.1 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively. Results of the survey come just days after the boss of AA reported attending a higher proportion of electric car breakdowns. In 40.6 per cent of these break downs, the EVs had to be towed from the roadside to a garage. However, only 29.6 per cent per cent of petrol cars required this. CEO of the breakdown service provider, Jakob Pfaudler, added EVs are prone to not only punctures, flat batteries, but also jammed charging cables and technical glitches. He claimed EV breakdowns are more common despite the "idea "common misconception" that they are more reliable than internal combustion engine cars due to having fewer moving parts. On top of that, the report found there was only a one in four chance EV drivers would have their cars permanently fixed by a breakdown company after being stranded on the road. This is in comparison to two in five petrol car owners who were able to get back on the road after calling out roadside assistance. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin As a result, EVs were the most commonly transported vehicles taken to garages for repairs, as they cannot be towed. They are unable to be towed due rotation of their driven wheels risking of damage to their e-motors. Edmund King, president of AA, also suggested EV drivers are more likely to be confused and flustered by warning lights in their cars, leading them to call for roadside assistance. Whereas petrol car drivers often drive to a garage when being given warning alerts. King estimated, however, that only 86 per cent of traditional cars could be dealt with at the roadside compared to nine in ten battery powered cars which tend to just need a "simple reboot". An additional positive for EV drivers from the survey data suggested their breakdown-related faults could typically be resolved for free, more than any other fuel type. 89% of EV faults could be resolved at zero-cost for the driver, according to the survey, with only three per cent paying more than £1,500 for fixes. Hybrid cars did even better on this front, with 91% being fixed for free, and only two per cent paying over £1,500. However, 76% of petrol car owners reported having their vehicle repaired at no cost following breakdown, and only two-thirds of diesel car drivers.
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
EVs ‘more likely to break down and leave drivers stranded than petrol or diesel cars,' damning report reveals
ELECTRIC vehicles are reported to be more likely to breakdown on the road than cars with petrol or diesel engines, according to research. A survey of nearly 30,000 drivers looked into their experiences with breakdowns over the past two years. 3 3 The Reliability Survey conducted by What Car? in association with MotorEasy looked at a comparison of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric cars in terms of whether they were likely to break down, as well as be fixed or towed. Overall, 11 per cent of respondents of the survey had suffered a fault in the last 24 months that made it undriveable. A similar figure of 10.7 per cent of petrol car owners reported a break down in this time, which is a significantly lower rate than batter car owners. Hybrid and diesel cars were also at a lower rate, at 14.1 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively. Results of the survey come just days after the boss of AA reported attending a higher proportion of electric car breakdowns. In 40.6 per cent of these break downs, the EVs had to be towed from the roadside to a garage. However, only 29.6 per cent per cent of petrol cars required this. CEO of the breakdown service provider, Jakob Pfaudler, added EVs are prone to not only punctures, flat batteries, but also jammed charging cables and technical glitches. He claimed EV breakdowns are more common despite the "idea "common misconception" that they are more reliable than internal combustion engine cars due to having fewer moving parts. On top of that, the report found there was only a one in four chance EV drivers would have their cars permanently fixed by a breakdown company after being stranded on the road. This is in comparison to two in five petrol car owners who were able to get back on the road after calling out roadside assistance. The Sun's Motors Editor Rob Gill takes the new electric Renault 5 for a spin As a result, EVs were the most commonly transported vehicles taken to garages for repairs, as they cannot be towed. They are unable to be towed due rotation of their driven wheels risking of damage to their e-motors. Edmund King, president of AA, also suggested EV drivers are more likely to be confused and flustered by warning lights in their cars, leading them to call for roadside assistance. Whereas petrol car drivers often drive to a garage when being given warning alerts. King estimated, however, that only 86 per cent of traditional cars could be dealt with at the roadside compared to nine in ten battery powered cars which tend to just need a "simple reboot". An additional positive for EV drivers from the survey data suggested their breakdown-related faults could typically be resolved for free, more than any other fuel type. 89 per cent of EV faults could be resolved at zero-cost for the driver, according to the survey, with only three per cent paying more than £1,500 for fixes. Hybrid cars did even better on this front, with 91% being fixed for free, and only two per cent paying over £1,500. However, 76 per cent of petrol car owners reported having their vehicle repaired at no cost following breakdown, and only two-thirds of diesel car drivers.
