Top 5 Complaints About Electric Cars

Electric cars are becoming increasingly popular. This new technology, pushed by Elon Musk’s Tesla, is expected to conquer the world. However, there are also problems with the introduction of such a new technology. Here is our top 5 most-heard complaints about electric vehicles.

Top 5 EV Complaints

1. Problems Associated with Advertised Range

One of the issues that has so far prevented electric motor vehicles from completely taking over the automotive industry is a lack of range. Even with the Tesla Model S breaking new ground with a purported range of 379 miles, many of the more affordable models can’t offer a range of over 200 miles.

However, drivers are regularly finding that in real world settings, ranges are well short of their quoted performance. The use of air conditioning, sound systems and variable driving speeds are said to eat into the range. Those behind the wheel are frustrated by failing to reach their destination on one charge, often stopping for a lengthy interval as the car recharges.

2. Problems with Charging

Those who’ve accepted that their electric range may not quite live up to the billing may plan to include charging stops part-way through their longer road trips. Yet this has caused a new set of issues for some drivers.

Some vehicles from the lower end of electric models can see wait times of up to 4.5 hours for their vehicle to regain charge. For drivers only wishing to add an extra 20-30 miles, they often have to wait up to 30 minutes to get sufficient charge to carry on. When you take into account filling up a petrol tank takes 2 or 3 minutes you can understand their anger.

There’s also an increasing number of complaints regarding the lack of investment into charging stations. Some vehicle owners have been sold a vehicle on the promise of the widespread availability of chargers, only to find that the only viable charging station within a 30-mile radius is their own home!

3. Problems with Safety

The average car has over 30,000 moving parts, whereas an electric vehicle may have as few as a dozen. Bearing this in mind, many would assume that electric cars are both much safer and easier to maintain. However, this hasn’t proven to the case over the last couple of years as electric cars have been recalled by a wide range of manufacturers over safety fears.

Tesla had to issue a recall on its Model S due to a power steering issue, whilst Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi recalled their hybrid and electric cars due to fears about poisonous cadmium. Ford also recalled its electric cars due to a fire risk last year. Buyers who placed their faith in electrical vehicles are infuriated that they have to spend increasing amounts of time without their vehicles as safety issues are corrected.

4. Tax Credit and Rebate Issues

Although not the fault of the car manufacturers themselves, the tax credits, rebates and other incentives attached to buying a fully electric car are causing undue stress for the drivers trying to claim them.

They complain of over-complicated forms to fill in, response times of months, and many cases where no credit has been received at all, despite being eligible. For some, the financial incentive of lower running costs and a retail price significantly reduced by credits offered by both local and national governments has swayed them into making the switch. The battle they face afterwards has left them thinking about whether they will do the same again in the future.

5. Escalating Delivery Times

One of the biggest source of complaints for buyers of electric cars are the delivery times. Whilst traditional manufacturers can turn around custom-spec combustion engine cars within a matter of weeks, electric manufacturers such as Tesla can take more than 12 months to deliver what is just a standard issue model.

Buyers are looking forward to getting their hands on a brand new electric vehicle are often subject to repeated delays, giving them no choice but to vent their anger. With worldwide shortages of the raw materials that go into battery development such as lithium and cobalt, these delivery problems look set to continue.

Has Your Electric Vehicle Given You Cause for Complaint?

No consumer likes to complain, but sometimes it’s the best way to seek a successful resolution to your situation. Whether you’ve been subjected to unacceptable wait times to receive your vehicle, or you’ve had issues with charging stations, we can help to resolve your complaint by giving it the attention it deserves.

By filing a complaint on our website, you can distribute your negative experience to thousands of our other users. Better still, we will contact the company in question via social media or email to seek a faster resolution to your situation.

So if you’ve had a negative experience with your electric car, use the button below to file your EV complaint on our website.