Plug-in hybrids fared even worse, registering 146 percent more problems than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines.
According to Consumer Reports, the least reliable type of vehicle overall was electric pickup trucks.
They reached this conclusion based on a survey they conducted among members about issues they have had with their vehicles during the past year. Data from more than 330,000 vehicles with model years from 2000 onward was included in the assessment.
Their study involved 20 types of issues that range from minor nuisances like squeaky brakes to significant issues such as battery and charging problems and transmission issues, which were given a greater weight than minor issues. Consumer Reports noted that the charging problems they considered were those related to the vehicles themselves rather than public or home chargers.
"As more EVs hit the marketplace and automakers build each model in greater numbers, we are seeing that some of them have problems with the EV drive system motors, EV charging systems, and EV batteries (which are different from the low-power 12-volt batteries that power accessories)," Consumer Reports noted.
The publication's senior director of auto testing, Jake Fisher, characterized the finding as “growing pains” and said that he believes that EV manufacturers are still trying to work out some of the bugs with the technology.
He recommended that people who are interested in buying electric vehicles avoid buying new EVs that are in their first model year as manufacturers continue to work out the kinks with these vehicles.
The most frequently reported problems among electric vehicle owners included were related to charging systems, batteries and drive system motors. There were also reports of flaws in the way that the vehicles' interior parts and body panels fit together.
When it comes to plug-in hybrid vehicles, the fact that they combine an internal combustion engine with an electric drive means that there are more ways things can go wrong with these cars.
Tesla, considered a pioneer in electric vehicles, only ranked near the middle of the pack when it came to reliability. Although its vehicles’ components are considered to be reliable, build quality remains a major concern. Many Tesla owners have reported quality issues like nonfunctional door handles, trunks that fail to close, paint irregularities and broken trim.
Biden administration pushing people to buy unreliable cars for the sake of the environment
The finding could throw a wrench in the Biden Administration's relentless push to get Americans to switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric ones. Although buyers are being offered a federal tax credit worth as much as $7,500 when they purchase these vehicles, many consumers are very wary of making the change, citing the higher cost of electric vehicles as well as insufficient charging infrastructure. They can also be more expensive to maintain and require additional equipment, such as electric charging ports at home.
Biden has set a goal of making sure that half of all car purchases are electric by the year 2030 in an initiative that critics say is being forced upon Americans.
While electric vehicle registrations have grown by more than 500 percent in the U.S. since 2017, they still only made up less than 1 percent of overall vehicle registrations in the country last year.
Many vehicle manufacturers have already started to reduce their investments in the technology in the face of weak demand and consumer skepticism.
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