Stranded electric vehicles? Must be the battery running out of charge, right? For many, that’s the knee-jerk reaction, an Olympics-style jump to the seemingly obvious conclusion. However, a new study reveals the myriad reasons why EV owners might find themselves stranded.
Toronto-based digital platforms company VerticalScope, the parent company of AutoGuide and other publications, surveyed 1,200 EV owners in a recent poll. It concluded that 9.1% of the respondents were stranded, but the reasons why say more about technology than range.
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Let's first note that this is a relatively small sample size, much smaller than studies conducted by the likes of J.D. Power or Recurrent. So it may not be indicative of broader industry trends, especially now that EVs are starting to fly off the shelves. And as we've covered before, getting stranded in an EV can happen but is vastly less widespread than many people think.
Still, the findings seem somewhat consistent with what we’ve seen before.
The most common issue was purely mechanical, emerging from suspension, drivetrain components or cooling systems required for large batteries. 6.4% of owners reported these problems. 2.1% of owners said they faced software issues.
This has been a recurring theme in the early days of the EV transition. As opposed to traditional gas cars where mechanical systems play the primary role, EVs follow a software-first approach. All major systems in modern EVs (and even gas cars) are controlled by software.
This includes the drivetrain, battery management systems, advanced driver assistance systems, over the air updates and more. Making all that work flawlessly isn’t easy. Many automakers have witnessed a steep learning curve here, including Volkswagen, Rivian and General Motors.
Only 0.6% of the respondents said they were left stranded due to running out of range. That’s only about 7.2 people in a sample size of 1,200, so clearly, people are getting better at planning, charging is getting better and running an EV completely down to 0% is quite rare.
Even though range anxiety is real, it’s not what seems to be causing trouble for EV owners. And it’s almost a non-issue considering that the average daily driving distance for Americans is only 42 miles according to one estimate. Several new EVs now offer a range of over 300 miles.
The study adds that Tesla and BMW fared better than others. Just 7% of Tesla owners and 5% of BMW owners reported getting stranded. None of the Tesla owners faced software issues. Owners of GM vehicles, like the old Chevy Bolt EV and Silverado EV and GMC Hummer EV, as well as Fisker and Nissan owners, faced the most trouble.
Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
