Electric vehicles (EVs) are making progress in reliability, according to the latest findings from Consumer Reports. However, they still face significant challenges compared to traditional gas-powered cars.
The publication’s most recent automotive report card revealed EVs had 40% more reliability issues than gas-powered vehicles, narrowing the gap from last year’s 79% disparity.
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Plug-in hybrids also showed a boost in reliability, cutting their problems relative to combustion engine models from 146% to 70%.
While these results are reflective of an improvement in the dependability performance of EVs and hybrids, they still illustrate a significant difference in their overall reliability when compared to traditional vehicles.
Jake Fischer, head of Consumer Reports’ automotive test center, attributes the higher issue rates among EVs and hybrids in part to their frequent use as platforms for introducing advanced automation and experimental features. These technologies, while innovative, can be prone to glitches and may confuse drivers.
Despite these hurdles, Fischer predicts EVs and hybrids will continue to catch up with the reliability scores of gas-powered models over time as manufacturers refine their designs.
