Electric cars get high marks for reliability, with Tesla’s new Model 3 set to achieve ‘average’ rating: Consumer Reports

Testing and consumer surveys show electric vehicles are more reliable than internal combustion automobiles, the head of automotive testing for Consumer Reports said Thursday.

“Electric cars are very reliable,” Jake Fisher said, revealing the latest findings from the magazine’s influential auto tests.

“Electric vehicles are inherently less complicated than petrol or hybrid alternatives,” he added.

Having dispensed with the fuel and cooling systems found in petrol- or diesel-powered vehicles, electric cars also avoid parts that wear out and require replacement, such as filters and spark plugs.

In testing, Chevrolet’s new all-electric Bolt EV proved highly dependable, according to Consumer Reports, a non-profit organisation which accepts no advertising.

“This is actually one of the most reliable vehicles in the General Motors fleet,” Fisher said of the Bolt.

Consumer Reports has not yet tested the new Tesla Model 3 but anticipates that it will also score well for reliability, according to Fisher, who based his prediction on the results of continuing tests of Tesla’s Model S and X. The three Tesla models share the same basic technology.