The average electric car driver does not need to call for roadside assistance as often as car owners with a petrol or diesel car, according to German figures. But in one problem category, electric cars stand out negatively.
Electric car drivers don’t need roadside assistance as often as car owners who drive a petrol or diesel car. Figures from the German organization ADAC have shown this before.
Now comes updated figures for cars of model years 2020 and 2021. It turns out once again that electric cars are better off than combustion cars. Electric cars accounted for 2.8 breakdowns along the road per 1,000 cars. The corresponding figure for cars with a combustion engine is more than twice as high: 6.4 breakdowns per 1,000 cars.
The numbers show once again that it is usually the 12-volt battery that fails in newer cars. It is by far the most common source of error when the car owner calls for roadside assistance, and especially when it comes to 12-volt problems, electric cars are worse off than internal combustion cars.
In total, figures for 156 car models have been analyzed and the breakdowns have occurred in 2023 for car models of model years 2014–2021. The best results go to the BMW i3, Mini and BMW X1. The Toyota Yaris, Ford Kuga and Toyota C-HR get the worst results.
The Volvo XC40 and XC60 both receive the distinction of “top models” in their respective size classes with fewer breakdowns than the average car.
- The figures are based on cars that needed roadside assistance by the German organization ADAC in 2023. It is about 3.5 million calls.
- Only car models registered in at least 7,000 copies over two years are included.
