Electric Cars Beats Gas Cars in This Aspect, Says New Report

More and more people are switching to electric cars. That shift brings up an important question: are electric vehicles more reliable than gas-powered ones?

According to Germany’s ADAC, the answer is yes — at least for now, writes Boosted.

ADAC, one of Europe’s largest roadside assistance providers, looked at 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024.

Their new data shows that electric cars tend to break down less often than traditional gasoline and diesel cars.

This is the first time there’s enough data to make a fair comparison between the two.

The numbers are clear. For cars registered in 2020, 2021, and 2022, gas-powered cars had 9.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles.

Electric cars had just 3.8. That pattern matches what ADAC saw in 2023 too.

Still, the main reason for breakdowns remains the same for both types of cars.

The 12-volt battery — the one that powers the car’s systems, not the electric motor — is the number one culprit.

Almost 45 percent of all issues were caused by this battery. In electric cars, it caused half of all breakdowns.

One common problem in electric cars is that drivers often wake up the car’s system using smartphone apps.

That drains the small battery faster than expected. Many automakers didn’t fully prepare for this kind of use.

ADAC also listed the most reliable models. Some electric cars like the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, and VW ID.4 performed very well.

So did some gas models, such as the Audi A4 and BMW X3.

However, not every electric car did great. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 had a high number of breakdowns, along with older gas cars like the Ford Mondeo and SEAT Alhambra.

Electric cars are simpler machines. They don’t have oil changes, exhaust systems, or complex engines with lots of moving parts.

That simplicity helps reduce the risk of something going wrong.

ADAC says electric cars seem more reliable — at least during the first few years.

Time will tell if that continues. But for now, it’s good news for EV drivers.