New Study Finds EV Reliability Surpasses Traditional Gasoline Cars

When comparing electric vehicles vs internal combustion engine vehicles, one factor is gaining increasing attention from consumers and fleet operators alike: EV reliability. A recent study by Germany’s largest automobile club, ADAC, reveals that electric vehicles are quietly outperforming traditional fuel-powered cars in terms of dependability.

In the past year, ADAC responded to over 3.6 million roadside assistance requests. Each service call was logged in detail, providing a rich dataset for analysis. The conclusion? EV reliability is now measurably superior to that of traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

For the first time in 2024, ADAC declared that its data is robust enough to confidently evaluate EV reliability—and the results favor electric vehicles. With another year’s worth of data added, the reliability gap between electric and fuel-powered vehicles is only widening. Despite an all-time high in EV-related service calls, these still accounted for only 1.2% of the total—just 43,678 requests.

According to German financial publication Handelsblatt, for cars first registered between 2020 and 2022, EV reliability clearly surpasses ICE performance. On average, electric vehicles experienced 4.2 failures per 1,000 vehicles, compared to 10.4 failures for traditional vehicles.

Interestingly, the most common failure point for both types of vehicles is the 12-volt battery. Among all EV failures, 50% were linked to this small but crucial component. In ICE vehicles, 45% of failures were due to the same issue. In nearly every other failure category—electrical systems, engine management, lighting—electric vehicles reported fewer problems.

That said, electric cars did show a slightly higher failure rate in tire-related issues, with 1.3 tire failures per 1,000 breakdowns, compared to 0.9 for ICE vehicles. However, newer EV models appear to be less affected by this issue, suggesting recent improvements in tire design or integration.

What’s especially noteworthy is the absence of many typical ICE-related failures in EVs. Electric cars don’t need oil changes, and they lack the complex mechanical systems found in combustion engines, resulting in fewer potential breakdowns. This structural simplicity plays a large role in increased EV reliability.

ADAC does acknowledge that comparing electric vehicles vs internal combustion engine vehicles comes with challenges. Because EVs have only been on the road in significant numbers for a few years, long-term data—especially beyond ten years—is still lacking. However, the early numbers are promising. Not only are EVs better for the environment, but they may also prove to be a more reliable transportation choice in the long run.

As the adoption of EVs continues to grow across Europe and beyond, this new data could become a turning point. Reliability concerns have long been a barrier to entry for many potential buyers. Now, that narrative is starting to shift.