2021 What Car? Reliability Survey: electric cars
We reveal the most – and least – dependable cars up to five years old, based on the experiences of more than 16,000 owners...
What went wrong? Brakes 6%, non-motor electrics 6%
The original Nissan Leaf is ageing rather well. Although 12% of owners of previous-generation models reported faults, all of these were rectified for free by Nissan dealers. What’s more, all work was carried out in a day or less.
Owner’s view "This is my second electric car and I think they’re only getting better. Reliability has been excellent"
2. MG ZS EV (2019-present)
Reliability rating 96.5%
Bodywork and steering were the only troublesome areas for ZS EV owners, who told us that 13% of their cars had suffered a fault in the previous year. The cost of repairs was covered by MG in all cases, and 60% of the faulty cars were put right in less than a week.
3. Kia E-Niro (2019-present)
Reliability rating 95.8%
Among e-Niro owners surveyed, only 8% reported a fault. A small percentage of these issues concerned the main battery pack and the 12-volt battery, and there were niggles with some other electrical components. All repairs were done under warranty, but more than 70% of the cars were off the road for more than a week.
Reliability rating 86.3%
What went wrong? Battery 13%, non-motor electrics 10%, sat-nav 10%, motor electrics 8%, air-con 5%, motor 3% suspension 3%
Owners told us that 30% of their I-Paces had suffered a fault, and that a staggering 75% of these stricken cars had been stuck in service departments for more than a week – some for more than a month. The only positive is that all the remedial work was carried out under warranty.
Owner’s view "It’s a great electric SUV, but the technology it comes with isn’t the most responsive or dependable"
2. Nissan Leaf (2019-present)
Reliability rating 89.7%
The latest Leaf has been stricken by far more faults than the original model; owners told us 45% of their cars had gone wrong, with problem areas including the electric motor battery, 12-volt battery and a range of other electrical systems. Although all cars were fixed for free, 9% spent more than a week in the garage.
3. Renault Zoe (2013-2020)
Reliability rating 92.6%
Zoe owners said that 24% of their cars had been troublesome, with issues affecting the air-con, bodywork, electric motor and non-motor electrics. Although 75% of the faulty cars were fixed for free, the remaining 25% left owners with bills exceeding £1500, and 25% of them spent more than a week off the road.
Reliability of Electric cars aged up to five years old
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nissan Leaf 2011-2018 | 98.6% |
| 2. | MG ZS EV 2019-present | 96.5% |
| 3. | Kia E-Niro 2019-present | 95.8% |
| 4. | BMW i3 2013-present | 94.1% |
| 5. | Tesla Model 3 2019-present | 93.3% |
| 6. | Renault Zoe 2013-2020 | 92.6% |
| 7. | Nissan Leaf 2019-present | 89.7% |
| 8. | Jaguar I-Pace 2018-present | 86.3% |
The best electric cars you can buy today - and one to avoid
Sales of electric cars are booming, and no wonder: the best are quiet, cheap to run and smooth to drive. But which are the brightest sparks – and which are the loose connections?...
