Compared with traditional combustion vehicles, the powertrain of electric vehicles is relatively simple, requiring only one motor and battery pack to drive. In contrast, the powertrain of a traditional car includes multiple complex components such as the engine, transmission, and clutch. Therefore, electric vehicles have significantly fewer parts and simpler mechanical structures, so should they have a lower failure rate and be more reliable and durable than traditional cars?
The answer is no. According to a recent survey of more than 330,000 vehicles in the United States in the past three years, Consumer Reports found that the number of failures of electric vehicles is 79% higher than that of pure fuel vehicles, and that of plug-in hybrid vehicles is 146% higher. According to the report, this is mainly due to the fact that electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are relatively new, and manufacturers are still fiddling with technical issues.
If you think about it carefully, after all, there are more new brands that are keen on electric vehicles, on the one hand, they are more positive about new technologies and new ideas, but.
Compared with traditional automobile manufacturers, which are relatively mature and stable in technology and manufacturing process, they are lacking in foundation and more impetuous, and the probability of trial and error is greater. On the other hand, although electric vehicles have many fewer key components than gasoline vehicles, the battery pack, as a very important component, is itself a part with a higher failure rate. The life of a battery pack is affected by a variety of factors, such as the number of charges, charging method, temperature, etc. If the battery pack reaches the end of its life or there is a problem with the battery, the entire battery pack may need to be replaced, which can increase repair costs.
Of course, it can't be generalized, as this report reflects, the reliability problem of non-plug-in hybrid vehicles is 26% less than that of traditional vehicles, mainly because the technology of hybrid vehicles is relatively mature, and a considerable number of them come from Hyundai, Toyota and other manufacturers with high reliability. And even in plug-in hybrid models, manufacturers also have a great impact on product quality, for example, the plug-in hybrid version of the Chrysler Pacifica is very reliable, but the Toyota R**4 plug-in hybrid version R**4 Prime is one of the most reliable models.
Consumer Reports is also not partial to Americans' own brands, according to this survey report, Tesla's electric vehicles rank moderately for reliability, and the quality of the electric powertrain is relatively stable, but its body, paint and air conditioning systems are prone to failureFord's poor reliability performance in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids is reflected in the reliability issues of its flagship products such as the F-150, Bronco, and Lightning.