Even as the world is moving towards electric vehicles (EVs), a new report has suggested that EVs have 80 per cent more problems than their conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts.
According to a study by Consumer Reports, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are even worse with almost 150 per cent more problems.
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| Most buyers are skeptical about EV adoption. |
On the other hand, ordinary hybrid cars are a “bright spot,” with about 25 per cent fewer problems compared to gas-powered cars, the analysis has found.
Consumer Reports’ latest vehicle reliability report has been unveiled at a time when car buyers are gearing up to take benefits from the US federal tax credit worth up to $7,500 for buying an EV.
This federal incentive has prompted car makers to roll out a litany of new electric models.
Slow adoption of EVs
However, despite this EV euphoria, consumers have been slow in shifting to electric vehicles because of a host of reasons — EVs are generally more expensive, often costly to maintain compared to ICE models, they require extra equipment such as a home charger, and if the battery needs to be replaced after the warranty period, it may be an expensive affair.
“This story tells us about the growing pains of EV adoption,” said a top executive at Consumer Reports. He added, “It is about just working out the bugs and the kinks of new tech.”
Survey of 330,000 vehicles
Consumer Reports’ inferences are based on a survey of its members who have bought EVs and the problems they are facing in the last one year.
The report was surveyed on a sample data of more than 330,000 vehicles between the years 2000 to 2023, with a few reports about even 2024 models.
So far as the problems faced by EV owners are concerned, most of the troubles were reported with the battery and chargers.
Also, there have been flaws in how the EV body panels and interior parts fit together.
EVs | Nascent stages of power systems
Consumer Reports said that EV manufacturers are still in the nascent stages of making new power systems, and added that tech improvement would be one of the ways to improve the reliability of electric vehicles.
It noted that lingering concerns about reliability will only prompt buyers to pause their decisions of switching to EV technology. The factors for this are higher costs, a lack of charging stations and the long wait to charge vehicles.
Problem with plug-in vehicles
PHEVs may have the biggest problems compared to conventional cars or even electric vehicles since they combine internal combustion engines with an electric drive.
And, this makes the situation even more complex, according to Consumer Reports. It implies that more things can go wrong with this technology.
Problem areas in EVs
In its study, Consumer Reports has rated vehicles on 20 problem areas. They range from squeaky brakes to charging issues, and PHEVs are likely to experience all of them, it noted.
There are exceptions though as a few PHEVs have outperformed. Consumer Reports has found that the Toyota RAV4 Prime and Kia Sportage score above the average so far as reliability is concerned.
On the other hand, three PHEVs — the BMW X5, Ford Escape and Hyundai Tucson score an average on reliability.
Most and least reliable car manufacturers
Consumer Reports found that the most reliable segment of the market was compact cars. Then, there were sports cars, small pickups, mid-sized and large cars, luxury mid-sized and large luxury cars, in that pecking order.
The top-ranked model for reliability is the Toyota 4Runner, according to the study.
The top 10 automakers, ranked by Consumer Reports in reliability, are — Lexus, Toyota, Mini, Acura, Honda, Subaru, Mazda, Porsche, BMW and Kia.
The five lowest-ranking brands are as follows: Jeep, Volkswagen, Rivian, Mercedes-Benz and Chrysler. So, EV vs ICE debate still rages on.
E-Vroooom’s views
So, with EVs having 80 per cent more problems than ICE vehicles, it seems that sales could see an initial pause, and only after customers are satisfied with their reliability, would the numbers zoom ahead.
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