- A pair of separate reports presented differing conclusions on the reliability of electric vehicles compared to gas-powered cars. The German Automobile Club found gas-powered models break down more often, but the United Kingdom’s Automobile Association reported a slightly higher breakdown rate for EVs.
- The German Automobile Club says EVs suffer 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles versus 10.4 per 1,000 for combustion cars. The Automobile Association cited issues like charging cable problems and software glitches among the reasons why electric models experience more issues.
- Differing conclusions may stem from organizational interests, as the German Automobile Club supports EV initiatives, and the Automobile Association is partly owned by an investment firm heavily involved in funding oil and gas operations.
Full Story
A pair of separate reports offered differing conclusions on the reliability of electric vehicles (EVs) compared to traditional gas-powered cars. The discrepancies between these two studies necessitate examining the potential interests of the organizations involved.
What data points to EVs being more reliable?
A recent study by the German Automobile Club (ADAC) found that electric vehicles manufactured between 2020 and 2022 broke down less frequently than their combustion engine counterparts. According to ADAC’s data, EVs had an average breakdown rate of 4.2 per 1,000 vehicles, less than half the 10.4 per 1,000 rate observed among gas and diesel vehicles.
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What data points to gas-powered cars being more reliable?
However, data released by the United Kingdom’s Automobile Association (AA) presents a different view. The AA reports that EVs currently experience a slightly higher rate of breakdowns than internal combustion engine vehicles. It attributes this to issues specific to electric cars, such as jammed charging cables and software-related glitches.
Despite noting a higher breakdown rate, the AA reported that people resolved most EV-related issues without the need for towing. Their findings showed that people fixed 90% of electric vehicle breakdowns at the roadside, compared to 86% for gas and diesel vehicles.
Why are these reports drawing different conclusions?
Straight Arrow News examined the financial ties of both groups to understand these differing conclusions. The ADAC’s pro-EV report comes as the organization operates a network of EV chargers across Germany and has previously given financial support to initiatives promoting electric mobility.
Meanwhile, the AA’s study favoring the performance of gas-powered cars was released. At the same time, its part-owner, CVC Capital Partners, invested billions of dollars in the global oil and gas sector.