ADAC counts more breakdowns in electric cars - because this part is weakening

Created: 03/22/2022, 09:46 am

By: Marcus Efler

The number of breakdowns in electric cars is increasing rapidly.

There are several reasons for this - a component is just as annoying as in a combustion engine.

Another causes trouble at TÜV.

Munich – Anyone who buys an electric car associates it with the hope of low-maintenance and almost breakdown-free operation: After all, there are fewer moving parts in the engine and due to the lack of a gearbox (except for high-performance electric sports cars such as the Porsche Taycan). can wear out.

But the reality is now different, as reported by 24auto.de.

On the one hand, hopes for inexpensive maintenance are dashed, but electric cars are also causing more and more problems when it comes to breakdowns.

The ADAC breakdown helpers had to be called out more than 25,000 times last year to get electric cars that had broken down back on the road – or to coordinate towing away in the event of major problems.

In the previous year, the number of calls for help from Stromer drivers was still 9,000, so it has almost tripled.

ADAC counts more breakdowns in electric cars - because this part is weakening

However, the main reason for this is not particularly worrying: the number of purely electric cars is currently increasing sharply, mainly thanks to the environmental bonus, and rose to 356,000 last year.

Logically, this also increases the number of cars with a problem somewhere.

In addition, the first Stromer are now getting to an age where wear and tear is taking their toll.

The Yellow Angels are increasingly being used for electric cars.

(Iconic image) © Michael Gstettenbauer/Imago

Of course, it is surprising which problem occurs most frequently with a share of 46.2 percent of the defects: Just as with combustion engines, the Yellow Angels have to give the electric vehicles jump-starting assistance.

Because even with Tesla and Co., the starter battery is small, weak at 12 volts and particularly vulnerable in the cold.

While in conventional cars it gets the cylinders of the petrol or diesel engine going, in e-mobiles it closes the circuit to the drive battery - which is mechanically disconnected when the vehicle is parked.

ADAC counts more breakdowns in electric cars - this problem is at the TÜV

Other important components, on the other hand, are less of a cause for breakdowns, but cause increasing trouble at the TÜV and during maintenance in the workshop: the brakes.

Electric cars usually slow down by recuperating energy, i.e. feeding it back into the battery.

The brake pads are not applied to the discs at all.

However, lack of use can cause rust and the brake discs will need to be replaced.