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The AA gives reassurance to electric fleets

With EVs accounting for just 1% of breakdowns, drivers are being reassured that Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a reliable and sustainable choice, as the AA dispels some of the myths commonly associated with EV ownership.

The top two causes of breakdowns for EVs are no different from ICE vehicles

Principal among the EV myths is range anxiety – the idea that the car won’t have enough power for long-distance driving. In reality, running out of charge is incredibly rare – in fact, it doesn’t feature within the top three EV breakdown causes.

The top two causes of breakdowns in an EV are no different to those of conventionally fuelled cars; namely the low-voltage 12v battery which can be found in all cars, and tyre faults due to potholes, punctures and wear. The third relates to charging equipment (cable, plug etc.).

Edmund King, AA president, said: “We are here to dispel the myths and help give power to electric drivers. We want to reassure potential EV drivers that 96% of EV breakdowns have nothing to do with battery range. The proportion of out of charge problems has halved in the last few years and in Norway, a more developed EV market, less than 1% of EV Breakdowns are due to running out of charge.

“But if EV drivers do run out of charge we have a solution that almost three quarters of drivers (74%) say they prefer. Rather than trying to recharge EVs with 5-10 miles range where they breakdown, which may be dangerous, we will take the EV to a working charge point so that they can charge as much as they want in one session.”

Ben Sheridan, AA Patrol of the Year, added: “Many people don’t realise that there are two batteries in electric cars – one low voltage and one high voltage. In conventional cars, the low voltage battery starts the engine when you turn the ignition, and a flat battery is one of the most common faults we are called out to. In EVs it’s similar, but it starts the onboard computer system. A separate, high voltage battery powers the vehicle. If you do break down, we can help whether you drive a petrol, diesel, hybrid or electric.”

Those who break down in an electric vehicle can call the AA or get help using the AA app or website. The AA expects to attend more than 40,000 EV breakdowns this year. Of these, fewer than 4% will be run out of charge. And while the number of EV breakdowns is increasing overall in line with uptake, running out of charge is a diminishing problem due to more accessible information to drivers and wide availability of public charge points.

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Natalie Middleton

Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.