ADAC Data Confirms Electric Vehicles Are More Reliable Than Combustion Cars

Despite a rise in total breakdowns in 2024, EVs maintain lower failure rates as manufacturers address early technical challenges.

ADAC statistics reveal electric vehicles have a breakdown rate of 4.2 per 1,000 vehicles, significantly lower than the 10.4 rate for combustion engine cars registered between 2020 and 2022.
The total number of EV breakdowns rose by 46% in 2024 to 43,678, largely due to the growing number of electric vehicles on the road.
Three-year-old electric vehicles show notable reliability improvements as manufacturers resolve early issues with batteries and motor systems.
Battery-related failures remain the leading cause of breakdowns across all vehicle types, accounting for 44.9% of incidents in 2024.
Motor problems, including high-voltage system issues in EVs, are the second most common breakdown cause, responsible for 22.1% of cases.