17 hours ago
‘I'd rather travel by horse or donkey than drive an electric car'
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most likely type of car to break down, according to a major survey of tens of thousands of drivers.
The latest What Car? Reliability Survey found that 16.8 per cent of EV owners reported a breakdown in the past two years – a higher rate than petrol (10.7 per cent), hybrid (14 per cent), and diesel (15 per cent) car owners.
Telegraph readers have long expressed scepticism about switching to electric cars and according to an exclusive Telegraph poll, a striking 83 per cent of more than 270,000 respondents said they would not buy an EV.
'EVs are manifestly inferior'
For many, like reader Glenn Ewen, buying an electric car is 'senseless'. Mr Ewen says: 'If EVs were viable, they would have flooded the market by now, but they're not. The average driver will have very little use for one.'
Reader Nigel Curtress, from Surrey, argues that electric cars are 'manifestly inferior to the product they are trying to replace.'
Among Mr Curtress' chief concerns is the overall cost of owning an EV, which he says is 'materially higher than the equivalent ICE. They cost more to buy and depreciate at an eye-watering rate.'
Inconvenience is another major concern for Mr Curtress. At a wedding he recently attended, guests with electric cars who were staying overnight had to compete for the two charge points in the hotel car park.
He says: 'Many had long journeys the following day. I am not kidding, they were setting alarms in the middle of the night for their one hour time slot [at the charge point]. It sounds like a joke, but it's the reality of living with an EV.'
Reader Philip Graham, 54, took the plunge and bought an EV, however just three years later, he couldn't wait to get rid of it.
Mr Graham, who lives in Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, took advantage of government incentives to buy a small electric car. However, he sold his Honda E Advance when the repayment scheme came to an end and reverted back to a petrol car.
In addition to the serious battery issues, which were particularly bad in the cold winter months, Mr Graham says: 'The Honda E was exceptionally difficult to connect to the Honda App, which you need to control practically every aspect of the vehicle. They talk about 'range anxiety', but that car gave you that feeling in spades every time you got in it.'
When asked what it would take to buy another EV, Mr Graham proclaims: 'If it was the last car in the world, I'd still rather travel by horse or donkey.'
In agreement, John Evans adds: 'I've never been so relieved to get rid of a vehicle as I was when I sold my Porsche Taycan EV. The problems are too many to list. I will never have another full EV.'
'Petrol cars are yesterday's technology'
Despite the overwhelming majority of Telegraph readers who voted that they would never buy an electric car, a spirited few made the case for why it was a worthwhile investment.
Stuart Hargreaves, 55, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire recently became an EV owner. After weighing the pros and cons he decided to buy a two-and-a-half-year-old Hyundai Ioniq and 'hasn't looked back.'
Mr Hargreaves shares: 'It is extremely efficient and easily averages five plus miles per kwh. I am self-sufficient in charging my car and don't have any expensive and inconvenient visits to dirty petrol stations anymore.'
Likewise, an anonymous reader adds: 'The whole car industry is having to shift to a new paradigm. Internal combustion engines are yesterday's technology.'
While reader Percy Flage argues: 'The Government should subsidise EV purchases and invest in the charging infrastructure.'
Colin and Sue Sutter, both in their 80s are also proud EV owners. The pair bought a Kia E-Nero five years ago and have never had an issue with their car.
'We've driven it from our home in Bedfordshire to Scotland and have never had a problem finding a charge. On a day-to-day basis, we drive it, return home and recharge it overnight on cheap electricity. It is easy to fuel, easy to run and so quiet.'
Mr Sutter says he doesn't understand all of the hate EVs get: 'Our car has never caught fire and [our battery] has never run out. If you are scared of change, or a slave to the oil and gasoline companies, that's your problem, but do please grow up!'
