Tech

Electric car breakdowns explode due to lockdowns

According to the German automobile association ADAC, the number of breakdowns of electric cars across the Rhine continues to increase from year to year. According to the expertise of these professionals, the accessory battery is still the main cause of breakdowns in electric cars intended for individuals.

broken electric car
Credits: Pixabay

While thousands of luxury electric cars went up in smoke in a fire on a boat, the German association ADAC has just published its new statistical study on electric car breakdowns for individuals. Thus, and as evidenced by their figures, the ADAC has identified no less than 3,492,335 calls for repairs for electric vehicles in 2021.
This represents an increase of 3.1% compared to the data recorded in 2020, with 3,385,699 calls.

Still according to the ADAC, the German yellow vests therefore intervened 9,268 times per day in 2021 on breakdowns involving electric vehicles. The record was reached on February 15, 2021, with 21,627 interventions recorded in the country. At that time, an icy cold hit Germany, which may explain this carnage.

Also read: Driving with an electric car can cost you more than with a combustion engine

The 12 V battery, the first cause of breakdown in electric cars

According to German automotive professionals, the 12 V battery remains the main cause of failures encountered on electric vehicles for individuals. They also note that the failure rate related to this component remains stable from year to year: 46.2% in 2021, 43.6% in 2020. Interestingly, mechanics assure that the pandemic, and especially the successive confinements, have played an important role in the increase in the number of electric car breakdowns.

As they explain in the report, lead-acid batteries can wear out quickly in the event of long-term immobilization. And of course, the damage can be much more serious if the vehicle is not parked indoors, sheltered from the cold. In some cases and when the accumulators show the weight of years, a single particularly cold night can cause them to fail and prevent you from starting your electric vehicle as well as a combustion engine one.

According to the ADAC, the life of a 12 V battery is estimated between 5 and 6 years on average. If the problems around the 12 V batteries is therefore the main cause of breakdowns on German roads, engine malfunctions linked to the injection system, ignition and the various sensors also represent a significant part (15.5% in 2021 interventions). As a reminder, more than 6.5 million electric vehicles found buyers in 2021, an absolute record.

Source: Clean Automotive

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