EVs with flat batteries almost as rare as ICE cars running out of petrol or diesel

Concerns about running out of charge when driving an EV may be unfounded. That’s because the proportion of electric cars running out of juice fell to its lowest level last month, almost matching the small fraction of petrol and diesel cars that run out of fuel.

According to the AA, the issue of a lack of charge was the cause of just 1.4 per cent of callouts in June. That’s down from 1.6 per cent for the same period in 2023, 2.8 per cent in 2021 and 4.6 per cent in 2019. This is a major reduction from a high of eight per cent in 2015 and is edging closer to the one per cent of AA callouts that involve a petrol or diesel car running out of fuel.

This decline in cases, despite the growing number of electric cars on our roads, has been put down to advancement in EV battery technology, as well as the improved reliability and availability of chargers. 

The motoring association claims that it attends to as many as 8,000 breakdowns per day, but it now “only deals with five or six out-of-charge vehicles”. In fact, the AA says that in most cases that do occur an electric car isn’t even out of charge when its patrol arrives, but the charge level is very low and the owner is concerned about their ability to reach a nearby charging station.

Edmund King, the AA’s president, explained how “in the last eight years the proportion of EVs running out of charge has dropped by about 80%”.

“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,” said King. “Once drivers have made the switch the vast majority will not look back.”

Despite the differences between ICE and electric cars in terms of architecture, the AA says the top 30 per cent of causes of breakdowns with EVs match those of petrol and diesel cars. The most common issues causing AA callouts are surrounding a car’s tyres, wheels and the 12-volt battery.

Time to top up? Read our full guide to electric car charging in the UK...