Latest news with #JakobPfaudler
Daily Mirror
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Big blow to EVs after survey brands them 'more unreliable than fuelled cars'
British motorists that have switched to eco-friendly EVs have been snubbed after a damming new survey found they are 'more unreliable' than traditional petrol and diesel cars Brits whizzing around in electric vehicles (EVs) have been left red-faced after being snubbed in a major survey. The eco-friendly cars suffered a significant setback in the UK after new data found they are more likely to break down compared to petrol, diesel and hybrid cars. According to the latest What Car? Reliability Survey of almost 30,000 car owners, EVs recorded the highest breakdown rate of all fuel types, with 16.8 per cent of EV owners reporting one in the past two years. This is notably higher than the rates for vehicles powered by fossil fuels, with petrol at 10.7 per cent, hybrid at 14. per cent, and diesel at 15 per cent. The survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, found 11 per cent of respondents had experienced a breakdown in the past two years in total, with EVs standing out as the most likely to leave drivers stranded. Only 25 per cent of EVs were fixed on the spot, compared with 40 per cent of petrol cars. Conversely, 40 per cent of EVs required towing to a garage, while the recovery rate for petrol vehicles was a much lower 30 per cent. I drove 242-miles from UK seaside town in an electric car and it was hell The survey backs up comments made by the AA 's chief executive Jakob Pfaudler, who warned it was a 'common misconception that EVs break down less frequently than petrol and diesel vehicles'. Back in April he said: "Currently, at least, that is not the case. The breakdown rate is, in fact, slightly higher for electric vehicles than for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles." Diesel vehicles, while having a slightly lower breakdown rate than EVs, were still reported as the most likely to develop faults overall, with 31 per cent of owners reporting they experienced an issue in the past year. This is up from from 50 per cent in 2022 — suggesting that there has been some progress in diesel reliability over the past few years. There is some good news for EV owners however. The electric-powered cars were rated as the second-best fuel type for being fixed for free, with owners revealing 89 per cent of the issues reported were rectified at no cost, while a mere three per cent had to pay more than £1,500 to get their cars back on the road. The findings sparked debate within the automotive community, with some EV advocates questioning the survey's methodology and pointing to alternative data. Ben Nelmes, chief executive of the consultancy New Automotive, suggested that the UK's MOT failure rate might be a better indicator of reliability, noting that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) generally have a lower MOT failure rate than petrol and diesel cars of similar ages — aside from three-year-old vehicles, where the rates were almost identical. Ginny Buckley, chief executive of EV advice website Electrifying argued that the survey contradicts data from Start Rescue. She also highlighted that when EVs do break down, the issues are often minor and cheaper to repair thanks to the simpler engineering and fewer moving parts in EVs, rather than costing an arm and a leg like the mechanical failures common in older ICE vehicles. Ginny said: "The What Car? survey flies in the face of data from companies like Start Rescue, who last year reported that EVs are 59 per cent less likely to break down than their petrol or diesel counterparts. But when they do, the issues are often relatively minor — things like tyres, wheels, or the 12-volt battery – much the same as traditional cars. Expensive mechanical failures, which are common in older internal combustion engine vehicles, are rare thanks to the EV's simpler engineering and fewer moving parts." So while EVs currently experience more problems than conventional vehicles, as is often the case with newer technology due to teething issues, many experts expect EV reliability to improve. And on the plus side, you are far more likely to get your EV repaired for absolutely nothing.
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- 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 Irish Sun
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish 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 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 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. Read More Motors News 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. Most read in Motors 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. 3 WhatCar? research also found Britannia Rescue to be the best breakdown assistance provider in terms of timing and quality Credit: Getty
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- 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.
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
EVs ‘most likely type of car to break down'
Electric vehicles (EVs) are the most likely type of car to break down, a survey of tens of thousands of motorists has found. A poll of just under 30,000 car owners found that just over one in 10, or 10.9 per cent, had broken down within the last two years. Of those who gave their car's fuel type, about one in six (16.8 per cent) said the car they broke down in was an EV, What Car? magazine's latest Reliability Survey found. This was a higher breakdown rate than for petrol, diesel or hybrid cars whose owners responded to the survey. Other data gathered by the magazine revealed that owners of diesel-engined cars are most likely to report a fault, with 31 per cent of its readers doing so last year, although that figure has declined from 50 per cent in 2022. The findings come after Jakob Pfaudler, the AA's chief executive, warned of a 'common misconception that electric vehicles break down less frequently than petrol and diesel vehicles'. Mr Pfaudler said in April: '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.' What Car?'s findings on reliability were based on about 17,300 drivers who gave their vehicles' fuel type, out of the 30,000 surveyed. Some 15.4 per cent of diesel drivers, 14.1 per cent of hybrid (petrol-electric) car owners and 10.7 per cent of petrol-powered motorists reported that they had been left stranded in their cars at some point since 2022. In total, around 7,700 petrol drivers responded, along with 5,100 diesel drivers, just under 2,900 hybrid owners and 1,600 EV motorists. In its survey, What Car? also asked drivers how often their broken-down cars had to be towed away, as opposed to receiving roadside repairs that got them running again. About two in five EVs had to be taken elsewhere to be fixed, the magazine found, compared with just 30pc of petrol cars. However, electric car advocates suggested that the survey's findings lacked rigour. Ben Nelmes, the chief executive of the consultancy New Automotive, said: 'Perhaps a better datapoint for the UK would be the MOT failure rate – after all, when a vehicle fails its MOT (and isn't remedied at the centre) then there's likely to be something fairly wrong with it. 'Battery-powered electric vehicles (BEVs) have a lower failure rate than petrol and diesel vehicles of comparable ages, except BEV and petrol vehicles that are three-years-old, where the failure rate is essentially the same,' he added. Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying, an electric car buying advice website, said: 'The What Car? survey flies in the face of data from companies like Start Rescue, who last year reported that EVs are 59 per cent less likely to break down than their petrol or diesel counterparts,' she said. 'But when they do, the issues are often relatively minor – things like tyres, wheels, or the 12-volt battery – much the same as traditional cars. Expensive mechanical failures, which are common in older internal combustion engine vehicles, are rare thanks to the EV's simpler engineering and fewer moving parts.'
