UK survey: EVs nearly 2x less reliable than hybrids, Tesla worst, Kia e-Niro best
Hans · Mar 23, 2022 12:15 PM
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Japanese hybrids are among the most reliable cars on sale, regardless of engine type
Plug-in hybrids more reliable than diesels, but still worse than regular petrol engines
EVs least reliable, but Kia is an exception
One in three (31.4 percent) electric vehicle owner in the UK has dealt with at least one fault on their EV in the first 4 years of ownership, versus 18.6 percent for combustion engine cars, reports UK publication’s Which? survey of 48,034 car owners in the UK, including 2,184 EV owners.
Interestingly, the survey also concluded that regular hybrids are the most reliable type of engine, with only 17.3 percent of owners reporting any faults in their first 4 years of ownership, 2 percent less than regular combustion engine cars, nearly twice lower than EVs.
Hybrids are most reliable, but that's also because such cars are overwhelmingly represented by Toyota and Honda, who typically top reliability surveys regardless of engine type
Toyota and Lexus are the leading sellers hybrid vehicles in the UK. More than 70 percent of Toyota and Lexus models sold in Europe and the UK are hybrids.
Plug-in hybrids however, which are typically sold by German and Swedish manufacturers, are lot less reliable, with 27.5 percent of owners saying they’ve experienced at least one fault in the first 4 years of ownership.
Plug-in hybrids are less reliable, but that's probably also because it's mostly represented by European brands, who typically don't do well in reliability surveys anyway
Diesels, which are also primarily sold by German manufacturers, are even less reliable, at 29.1 percent.
Tesla was singled out as the least reliable EV manufacturer, with 5 percent of owners reporting that they have experienced at least one breakdown / failure to start.
Kia however, makes the most reliable EVs, with the Kia e-Niro being the most reliable compact SUV, regardless of engine type. Only 1 percent of owners say they’ve experienced a breakdown in their Kia e-Niro.
Previous generation Kia Niro EV, UK's most reliable compact SUV regardless of engine type
Since this survey considers owners of cars at least 4 years or older. Recent models like the Kia EV6 are not included.
In theory, EVs should be more reliable than regular cars because they have a lot less mechanical parts, and therefore require less maintenance, at least that’s what EV proponents say.
But market data tells a different story. It’s quite naïve to believe that EVs are more reliable than regular cars simply because they have less mechanical components. That’s like saying your laptop is more reliable than a typewriter.
EVs are more reliable because they have less moving parts? That's a myth. It's less about engine type, but more about who makes the car.
But just like we all use laptops instead of typewriters, it is also quite naïve to think that EVs are a fad.
Like it or not, this is the tide of technology and just like we abandoned our ultra-reliable Nokia 3310s for a smartphone, so too will consumers eventually migrate to EVs. But at least buy something Korean or Chinese, rather than a Tesla.
Latest generation Kia Niro EV is currently only available in Korea
The survey by Which? more or less mirrors the results of USA’s Consumer Reports, which also found that hybrids – despite their complexity – are still a lot more reliable than supposedly simpler EVs.
Tesla is least reliable, but other studies also show that Tesla owners are among the most satisfied, suggesting that Tesla owners are willing to accept lower quality in exchange for being an EV pioneer
The publication also found that Toyota and Honda hybrids are the among the most reliable cars on sale in USA, regardless or engine type, while Tesla the second least reliable brand, after Lincoln.
Over 15 years of experience in automotive, from product planning, to market research, to print and digital media. Garages a 6-cylinder manual RWD but buses to work.
