Electric vehicle breakdowns from running out of power at record low – AA
The AA said most drivers who switch to electric motoring ‘will not look back’.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The percentage of electric vehicle (EV) breakdowns caused by running out of power reached a record low last month, figures suggest.
Just 1.4% of the EV callouts the AA received in June were due to their batteries having limited or no charge, the company said, adding that most drivers who switch to electric motoring “will not look back”.
That was the lowest monthly figure on record and is down from 1.6% in June last year, 2.8% in June 2021 and 4.6% in June 2019.
The AA attributed the decrease to a boost in the number and reliability of public chargers, higher quality charging support for customers, improved range on newer EVs and better driver education and information.
We understand why many drivers have been hesitant about switching to EVs
The company expects the annual figure to ultimately drop to 1%, which would be equivalent to the proportion of petrol or diesel car breakdowns due to running out of fuel.
AA president Edmund King said: “The AA has the biggest database of EV breakdowns in the UK and our figures clearly show that year-on-year the proportion of EVs running out of charge has dropped dramatically.
“We understand why many drivers have been hesitant about switching to EVs as it is a massive change but it is important that their decisions are based on accurate information.
“Once drivers have made the switch the vast majority will not look back.”
Mr King said he recently participated in a 1,500-mile EV rally around Britain “without any range anxiety”, which is a term for when EV drivers are concerned they will not have enough power to complete their journey.
The same event three years ago was “different and more stressful as chargers were less frequent and less reliable”, he explained.
The AA said the most common breakdown faults for EVs are tyres, wheels and the 12V battery, which is similar to those for conventionally fuelled vehicles.
Labour has pledged to reinstate the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars and vans.
The party included the commitment in its General Election manifesto, claiming this would provide “certainty to manufacturers”.
Then-prime minister Rishi Sunak delayed the ban from 2030 to 2035 in September last year as part of a wider reversal of net-zero policies.