- Often vehicles are not actually “unloaded”, but rather undercharged.
It’s a big worry for many apprehensive EV owners: running out of charge and breaking down on the side of the road.
But new data from the AA shows that range anxiety should now be considered a thing of the past.
This is because the latest statistics show that no-charge breakdowns as a percentage of all EV breakdowns are at an all-time low in 2024 – just 1.85 percent.
In 2023, average breakdowns of electric vehicles with a discharged battery accounted for 2.26 percent of calls.
However, last year, an AA survey of 14,500 drivers found that a staggering 99 per cent incorrectly estimated how often EV owners get stranded on the road.
This shows that while range anxiety is something that concerns 43 percent of EV drivers, the reality is that almost no EV owners currently experience it.
The latest figures revealed by AA statistical analysis show that “no-load” EV breakdowns as a percentage of all EV breakdowns are at a record low in 2024 – just 1.85 per cent. However, last year an AA survey of 14,500 drivers found that a staggering 99 per cent incorrectly estimated how often electric vehicles suffer from a dead battery.
The AA deals with approximately 8,000 breakdowns a day across all vehicle categories.
But the roadside assistance provider claims it only deals with five or six unladen vehicles a day.
Often, vehicles are not actually “unloaded” but are low on charge or unable to charge due to technical problems, leaving the driver worried about getting to the next charger.
And the AA data also shows that 30 per cent of breakdowns for electric vehicles are almost identical to those for petrol and diesel cars.
These are usually due to problems related to tires, wheels and the 12V battery.
Often, vehicles are not actually “unloaded” but are low on charge or unable to charge due to technical problems, leaving the driver worried about getting to the next charger.
Despite the ups and downs that occurred between 2017 and 2019, the proportion of “discharged” electric vehicles has decreased since 2015, when breakdowns due to discharged batteries amounted to 8.26 percent.
Over the years, new battery technology, improved charging performance and reliability, as well as the growth of the public electric vehicle charging network, have helped push low battery-related breakdowns to less. 2 percent of all road calls.
Another reason is better education, in the form of greater knowledge of drivers and dealers.
Ultimately, the AA expects the numbers to fall to 1 per cent. This would equal the proportion of cars with conventional combustion engines that run out of gasoline or diesel.
