Electric vehicles have long been marketed as more dependable than petrol or diesel cars. Fewer moving parts in an electric drivetrain are often cited as a reason for higher reliability. Yet a recent consumer survey in Britain suggests that electric cars may experience breakdowns more frequently during the initial years of ownership than traditional internal combustion engines.
In this study, a substantial sample size was analyzed to compare the early reliability of different powertrains. Among those surveyed, a noticeable share of electric vehicle owners reported serious issues within the first four years, a higher rate than petrol vehicle owners and somewhat higher than diesel owners. This finding challenges the common assumption that electric cars inherently suffer fewer problems in their early life cycle.
Across the four-year period, the data show that 39% of electric vehicle owners faced serious problems, compared with 19% for petrol car owners and 29% for diesel car owners. The discrepancy highlights a potential gap between perceived and actual reliability in the electric segment during the initial ownership phase. The study did not rely on a single fault type but captured a broad range of failures reported by respondents, underscoring variability in experiences across brands and models.
Repair times emerged as another important dimension. Electric vehicles tended to require longer downtime, with software-related issues commonly cited as the cause. On average, software problems necessitated about five days to reach a resolution. In contrast, petrol-powered vehicles averaged around three days for repairs, while diesel vehicles averaged about four days. These figures reflect the additional complexity involved in diagnosing and updating software systems in electric vehicles, as well as the ongoing process of ensuring compatibility between hardware and the evolving firmware landscape.
Brand performance within the electric segment showed noticeable variation. Among the electric vehicle brands represented in the survey, one brand stood out for its higher reliability, while another was identified as having more frequent issues. These contrasts illustrate how reliability can differ significantly even within the same powertrain category, depending on design choices, supplier ecosystems, and software management practices.