BERLIN: The number of electric vehicles on the roads is increasing in Europe and with it the number of breakdowns caused by the 12 volt starter battery, which plays a key role in ensuring an EV works properly.
Problems with the 12 volt starter battery are the most frequent cause of electric car malfunction, Germany's huge ADAC motoring organisation says in its annual statistics report for 2022.
The organisation said its roadside assistance patrols had to attend to 52,000 breakdowns in Germany involving electric and petrol-hybrid cars, a marked increase over the 25,000 call-outs over the previous year.
Well over 50% of roadside failures were caused by a problem with a discharged or defective 12 volt battery.
This auxiliary battery plays a key role in the functioning of nearly all the electrical components within an EV, and is especially needed to ensure the availability of critical safety systems.
During normal operation, the 12 volt battery is charged via a converter from the 800 volt high voltage battery, but the power demand from various components fluctuates widely. This means the 12 volt battery needs to buffer the electrical system, enabling it to supply many components.
Electric vehicles are also three times as likely to suffer a wheel or tyre problem due to their heavier weight, according to a report by Britain's Victoria Recovery motorist service.
That's more than double the percentage for petrol and diesel cars for the same problem, which accounted for 16% of all breakdowns during the three-year period for internal combustion engined vehicles.
More than a third of breakdown assistance call-outs made by EV owners are due to punctures, tyre damage or wheel issues, according to the report.
It said the higher probability of wheel and tyre problems with battery models is "often attributed to the excess weight of the car."
