Recent claims about electric vehicles (EVs) being frequently scrapped due to minor damage have been challenged by a comprehensive new study.
The research, conducted by CAP HPI, a British automotive data company, reveals that only a small fraction of EVs less than five years old have been written off since 2015.
The study examined vehicle data in the UK from 2015 to August 2024, focusing on cars under five years old. Surprisingly, it found that conventional gasoline and diesel vehicles are actually scrapped at twice the rate of their electric counterparts.
Specifically, 0.9% of EVs were written off during this period, compared to 1.89% of combustion engine vehicles.
For newer vehicles, the disparity is even more pronounced. Among one-year-old cars, 0.4% of gasoline and diesel models were scrapped, while only 0.2% of EVs met the same fate.
Jon Clay from CAP HPI emphasizes the importance of these results, stating that they challenge one of many misconceptions about electric vehicles. He urges the automotive industry to address the spread of misinformation, allowing consumers to make more informed decisions about their vehicle purchases.
The study also highlights the growing presence of EVs on UK roads, with 1.25 million electric cars less than five years old currently in use, including 355,000 that are under a year old.
This research comes in the wake of controversial reports, including one by Reuters, which claimed that large numbers of EVs in Europe and the US were being scrapped for minor damages. However, when fact-checked with Swedish auto recyclers, these claims were firmly refuted. Simon Rhodin from Lycksele Car Dismantling stated that all EVs they receive have sustained significant damage, not minor issues as reported.
Similarly, earlier reports suggesting that EV batteries were frequently replaced due to minor damage were also debunked. Urban Tibbelin, an operational manager at Werksta, confirmed that such occurrences are extremely rare.
