Combustion engines break down more often than electric cars

Electric cars break down less often in cold weather than combustion engines. This is the result of statistics from the Norwegian roadside service Viking. The evaluation dispels a widespread misconception.

Norway is taking on a pioneering role when it comes to electromobility. Because in 2023, over 80 percent of newly registered vehicles were electric cars. According to reports, the proportion of electric cars is currently slightly higher.

Volkswagen has therefore already announced that it will no longer sell combustion engines in Norway from 2024. The average temperatures in Norway are significantly lower than in Germany, for example. At first glance, these do not seem to be ideal conditions for electric cars. But this assumption has now been refuted in one point.

Electric cars break down less often in cold weather than combustion engines

Extreme cold can negatively affect the range of electric cars. That is now clear. According to TÜV Nord, it drops by an average of ten to 30 percent in winter. However, many manufacturers are developing ever better batteries to counteract this loss of range.

Even though it is on average slightly colder in Norway than in Germany, the west coast of the country has relatively mild temperatures all year round due to the Gulf Stream. But even when it comes to winter, the Norwegian roadside service Viking, which is comparable to the German ADAC, has now been able to dispel a myth.

Because electric cars break down less often in cold weather than combustion engines. This comes from a report by the Norwegian television station TV2 citing the breakdown service. According to this, only 13 percent of the breakdowns were due to starting problems in electric cars. 87 percent of cases with starting difficulties were caused by combustion engines.

Breakdown statistics: E-cars are better than their reputation

According to Viking, this statistic is based on around 34,000 breakdowns that occurred in the first nine days of 2024 alone. Looking at the evaluation and the fact that around 23 percent of vehicles in Norway are currently electric cars, according to the breakdown service, electric cars are almost twice as good as combustion engines in the cold.

According to Viking, fully electric vehicles accounted for 21 percent of the statistics. However, it must also be taken into account that older combustion engines have problems more often than newer ones. In comparison, electric cars are also newer overall. According to reports, electric cars still have a low performance in cold weather, as low temperatures affect chargers rather than the vehicles themselves.

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