Are Electric Cars More Reliable Than Gasoline Vehicles?

Electric vehicles are more reliable than vehicles with internal combustion engines, as they have fewer parts. The average engine incorporates hundreds of moving parts that need maintenance and replacement, while an electric vehicle depends on a battery, a transmission and an engine. The simplicity of the electric motor that drives electric vehicles, with only half a dozen moving parts contained in the engine, reduces component wear and tear and requires considerably less maintenance than conventional vehicles. With no oil to change, no gaskets to replace, and no valves to obstruct,

electric cars

don't have internal combustion engines, so these costs go away.

By comparison, cars with internal combustion engines, especially as they age, can be an enormous expense in terms of engine maintenance. The reduction in the number of moving parts means that fewer components of an electric motor wear out over the life of the device. This improves reliability and reduces maintenance, especially compared to a combustion engine. That doesn't mean that an electric motor will last forever, just that it reduces the likelihood of a breakdown or repair.

General Motors produced an

electric car

more than two decades ago and has more experience than most car manufacturers. Electric vehicles are still a fairly new product in the automotive world, but we're likely to see greater reliability as the technology further develops. Another good reason to opt for an electric car is the discounts and incentives offered by the government. Electric vehicles should be more reliable than an internal combustion engine car because they have fewer moving parts and less complexity, Fisher said.

The least reliable of all electric vehicle brands was Tesla, as 39 percent of owners reported at least one breakdown within 4 years after the purchase, and 5 percent of the problems included breakdowns or starter failures. The price of the eGallon is the cost of powering a vehicle with electricity compared to a similar vehicle that runs on gasoline. However, electric cars are not exempt from expenses, but the biggest possible maintenance expense is a battery pack. Electric cars have always been thought to be more reliable than gasoline or diesel vehicles; after all, electric vehicles have fewer moving parts and fewer volatile liquids to transport.

The reliability of electric vehicles turns out to be as varied as that of their gasoline counterparts, said Jake Fisher, senior director of automotive testing at Consumer Reports. Even more attention will be paid to electric vehicles in the future, now that General Motors, Jaguar, Ford's European division and others have announced plans to phase out gas and diesel vehicles by 2035 or sooner.