An unexpected advantage of cars with internal combustion engines over electric vehicles: problems with wheels and tires are twice as rare

Combustion-powered vehicles have an unexpected advantage over electric vehicles. This is evidenced by the statistics of the British company Britannia Rescue, which specializes in helping motorists on the road.

Usually, future owners worry about the range and postpone the transition from a car with an internal combustion engine to an electric car because of the fear of being left with a discharged battery. According to Britannia Rescue experts, electric vehicle users are much more likely to experience problems with wheels and tires than with batteries – three times more likely to cause such a breakdown.

An analysis of emergency messages over the past three years shows that 37% of drivers call emergency services for wheel or tire problems, while only 11% are due to a low battery. It is also more than twice as likely as in gasoline or diesel vehicles, where on average only 16% cite wheel or tire problems as the cause of the breakdown.

Wheel or tire problems are often related to the overweight of the vehicle caused by the battery, which can make it 50% heavier than a traditional gasoline or diesel vehicle.

Wheel problems are sometimes compounded by the fact that most manufacturers no longer fit a spare wheel as standard. Therefore, drivers, due to a flat tire or other wheel problem, cannot cope on their own and they have to call help services.

Drivers are unable to start their electric car, including at home, accounting for 21% of calls. This can happen for various reasons, for example, a discharged battery or the battery does not hold a charge, as well as a long stay without moving the vehicle.