Electric Vehicles Less Reliable than Conventional Cars, Says Consumer Reports

According to a recent report from Consumer Reports, electric vehicles have nearly 80% more problems and are generally less reliable than cars propelled by conventional internal combustion engines. The report also found that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) have an even worse scorecard, with an average of almost 150% more problems.

However, the analysis did highlight a positive note for ordinary hybrid cars, which had about a quarter fewer problems than gas-powered cars.

"This story is really one of growing pains," said Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. "It's a story of just working out the bugs and the kinks of new technology."

However, concerns about reliability continue to be a major issue for potential buyers considering a switch to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). These concerns, along with worries about higher costs, a lack of charging stations, and long charging times, contribute to the hesitation surrounding the adoption of this technology.

The Challenges of Plug-in Hybrids

Consumer Reports has found that PHEVs may face more problems compared to conventional cars and fully electric vehicles. This is because PHEVs combine internal-combustion engines with an electric drive, resulting in added complexity and a higher chance of things going wrong.

Consumer Reports evaluates vehicles based on 20 problem areas, which include issues like squeaky brakes and EV charging problems. According to their findings, PHEVs are susceptible to experiencing all of these problems.