Electric vehicles: which one is the most reliable?
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Electric Vehicle Reliability: Many Precautions
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to name at least one car the most reliable among electric vehicles. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that the market is very new. There were over 2020 electric vehicles registered in France in 110000, up from just over 10000 in 2014.
Therefore, we have little information about the reliability of vehicles after 10-15 years of operation. Moreover, reliability studies are just beginning to emerge and proliferate. In addition, the electric car as we know it today, as a young person, continues to be modified and improved. Thus, the models currently available are significantly different from those offered 5 years ago, especially in terms of autonomy. Likewise, it's safe to say that upcoming models will still be very different, which still tends to obfuscate the issue.
Finally, it will be necessary to define what is meant by the term "reliability". Are we talking about engine life, a criterion that is often used to evaluate thermal imagers? Battery life, a more specific criterion for an electrician? Shall we talk about the risk of other parts breaking?
Finally, it should be borne in mind that when it comes to internal combustion vehicles, the same cannot be said for an electric vehicle, which has a starting price of 60 euros, and a model for the general public at 000 euros. At the same time, the comparison of thermal and electric models is biased in the sense that the electric vehicle as a whole remains more expensive.
For all these reasons, the data currently available should be treated with great caution.
A few words about the reliability of electrical models in relation to thermal equivalents.
Therefore, if reserves are to be maintained, we can immediately remember that electric vehicles should be generally more reliable than thermal equivalents. We recalled this in our article on the lifespan of an electric vehicle: on average, these cars have service life from 1000 to 1500 charge cycles, or an average of 10 to 15 years for a car traveling 20 km per year.
The EV is indeed based on a simpler design: because it has fewer parts, the EV is logically less prone to breakdown.
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The most efficient models today
If we take into account the precautions described above, we can refer to research by JD Power, a US-based data analysis firm. Her report, published in February 2021, is filed at 32 й year by automakers as a measure of reliability.
According to this report, the three brands with the most reliable vehicles are Lexus, Porsche and Kia. Conversely, models like Jaguar, Alfa Romeo or Volkswagen are the least reliable.
JD Power relied on customer testimonials with an electric vehicle that is at least three years old to compile this rating. ... Thus, reliability is defined here as a result of customer satisfaction: it includes everything, without distinction, that forms the impression of the owner. Based on this definition, the study also surprised many: although the American manufacturer Tesla has always been synonymous with reliable cars, it ended up at the very bottom of the rankings.
Reliability price
If you rely on this report, Lexus will be the most reliable manufacturer when it comes to the high-end segment: its new UX300e electric SUV, with a starting price of around € 50, should therefore be particularly satisfying.
This is followed by manufacturers traditionally oriented towards the general public. However, their respective electric vehicles remain in value. Whether it's Kia with its e-Niro SUV, Toyota with its very limited supply of 100% electricity (as opposed to its hybrid lineup) or Hyundai with the Ioniq, all available cars are available for around 40 euros.
And at lower prices?
And vice versa, if we are looking for a cheaper car, the driver will also lose reliability. Nissan, which offers a bestselling product (Leaf sold between 35 euros and more than 000 units worldwide), ranks rather low on the JD Power rankings. In France, Renault, while pioneering the Zoe, does not even figure in the report's rankings.
What kind of malfunctions can an electrical model encounter?
Based on customer feedback, the study focuses not on specific models but on the electrical ranges of each manufacturer. In these conditions, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the purely technical reliability of the vehicle. However, this makes it possible to better choose an electric car.
To make your choice, you can also look at the types of faults that are common on electrical models. In May 2021, the German organization ADAC published a study that identified breakdowns that occurred in 2020 on electric vehicles. According to this study, the 12V battery was the first cause of failure: 54% of the cases. Electricity (15,1%) and tires (14,2%) lagged far behind. Problems associated with electric vehicles accounted for only 4,4% of breakdowns.
Conclusion: In general, electric vehicles are very reliable due to simplified mechanics. The number of reliability studies should increase in the coming years, and each model may have its own analysis. Finally, financial assistance for electric vehicles could increase.
