People talk a lot about electric cars, yet many still criticize them more than those who think they’re awesome. But now, we have some big news that confirms EVs are indeed more reliable.
A brand-new study by the German automobile group ADAC confirms that EVs are far reliable than ICE vehicles based on their data. The German roadside assistance association studied the data based on the real owners of both types, EVs and gas vehicles, to come to the conclusion.
We are here to finally put the battle of EVs and Gas cars to rest as we have this incredible news to share with everyone. Here’s everything that you need to know!
Electric Vs ICE: A German Study
A latest study from the German group ADAC has come up with a result that proves electric cars are reliable than the gas ones. This group is similar to AAA in the United States, which offers automobile roadside assistance along with other benefits based on a membership program.
Because groups like these deal with real problems of real vehicle owners, they have a lot of data at hand. They came up with these reports after going through heaps of such data and checking numbers responding to as many as 3.6 million breakdowns alone in 2024.
Millions of breakdowns mean they indeed have enormous data to back their claims.
ADAC is a membership-based assistance company that offers help when a car breaks down. Since they are not a company that sells cars or manufactures them, their data will show unbiased results.
Electric Wins Over ICE
To get a clear perspective of the study, let’s talk about the numbers from the ADAC study that span from 2020 to 2022.
- Electric Vehicles breakdowns: 4.2 per 1000 vehicles
- ICE Vehicles Breakdowns: 10.4 per 1000 vehicles
| Year | Breakdowns/1000 Vehicles | EVs | ICE |
| 2020 | 8.5 | 12.9 | |
| 2021 | 4.3 | 8.2 | |
| 2022 | 1.7 | 5.4 | |
| Average | 4.2 | 10.4 |
Some major brands in EVs are showing impressive numbers in reliability in Germany in the study. Tesla Model Y, for example, is doing far better than the Hyundai Ioniq 5, a popular favorite. Model Y had only a breakdown rate of 0.9 every 1000 compared to 22.4 for the Ioniq manufactured in 2022. Moreover, Tesla Model 3 saw a breakdown rate of only 0.5 for the 2022 make.
Why Do Vehicles Break Down?
While no car is a perfect car that comes with the promise of no future problems or occasional issues. You would be surprised to know that almost half of the time, the reason for a vehicle’s breakdown is its 12-volt battery failure. Both electric can ICE cars have them.
A 12-volt battery is like a helping hand for a vehicle that takes care of turning the vehicle or lights on. Thankfully, some electric cars like Model 3 now alert the driver to do the battery replacement.
Other issues of breakdown in EVs included motor management, high-voltage system, tires, keys, etc., which are rather smaller to fix. On the other hand, Gas cars had more issues with the generator, starter, electric system, lighting, high-voltage system, motor, tires, etc.
Why Electric Vehicles Are Built To Last?
ADAC study shows that EVs had far fewer troubles than the gas cars, which had frequent issues with every part of them. But why is that? Here’s why!
- Electric Vehicles are simpler with fewer parts, meaning fewer things to break.
- EVs do not have an engine, so they do not need oil changes or tune-ups.
- EVs do not have clunky parts like gears.
- EVs need no spark plugs and exhaust systems.
- EVs are easier to maintain with quieter and smoother rides.
What Happens When EVs Get Old?
Some will now argue that the EVs are new, and ICE vehicles might be older in the study. However, this is not actually the case here. It is true that we have fewer long-term studies based on EVs, but they’re going to do better because of how they are built.
In fact, this is one area where EVs are bound to outcast gas cars as older ICE vehicles are going to have issues with old parts that EVs do not have in the first place. This is simple logic and understanding of the components of both types of cars.
The experts from ADAC say that they receive fewer calls for EV breakdowns as the automakers have already fixed initial problems and issues faced with experience over the years. EVs are generally becoming more reliable as the variety and competition get better in the EV industry.
Bottomline
With lowering breakdowns and improvement in the automobile industry, one thing is sure that EVs are here to stay. The study shows why vehicles like the Tesla Model Y and Model Y are a popular choice among EV owners. The ADAC study provides reliable data to get a sense of how vehicles perform in the real world. In conclusion, EVs beat gas!
