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(Natural News)—Electric vehicles are failing to live up to their promise, with a new report from Consumer Reports showing that they have an incredible 79 percent more problems than their conventional counterparts, in addition to being less reliable.
Plug-in hybrids fared even worse, registering 146 percent more problems than vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines.
According to Consumer Reports, the least reliable type of vehicle overall was electric pickup trucks.
They reached this conclusion based on a survey they conducted among members about issues they have had with their vehicles during the past year. Data from more than 330,000 vehicles with model years from 2000 onward was included in the assessment.
Their study involved 20 types of issues that range from minor nuisances like squeaky brakes to significant issues such as battery and charging problems and transmission issues, which were given a greater weight than minor issues. Consumer Reports noted that the charging problems they considered were those related to the vehicles themselves rather than public or home chargers.
“As more EVs hit the marketplace and automakers build each model in greater numbers, we are seeing that some of them have problems with the EV drive system motors, EV charging systems, and EV batteries (which are different from the low-power 12-volt batteries that power accessories),” Consumer Reports noted.
The publication’s senior director of auto testing, Jake Fisher, characterized the finding as “growing pains” and said that he believes that EV manufacturers are still trying to work out some of the bugs with the technology.
He recommended that people who are interested in buying electric vehicles avoid buying new EVs that are in their first model year as manufacturers continue to work out the kinks with these vehicles.
The most frequently reported problems among electric vehicle owners included were related to charging systems, batteries and drive system motors. There were also reports of flaws in the way that the vehicles’ interior parts and body panels fit together.
When it comes to plug-in hybrid vehicles, the fact that they combine an internal combustion engine with an electric drive means that there are more ways things can go wrong with these cars.
Tesla, considered a pioneer in electric vehicles, only ranked near the middle of the pack when it came to reliability. Although its vehicles’ components are considered to be reliable, build quality remains a major concern. Many Tesla owners have reported quality issues like nonfunctional door handles, trunks that fail to close, paint irregularities and broken trim.
Biden administration pushing people to buy unreliable cars for the sake of the environment
The finding could throw a wrench in the Biden Administration’s relentless push to get Americans to switch from gas-powered vehicles to electric ones. Although buyers are being offered a federal tax credit worth as much as $7,500 when they purchase these vehicles, many consumers are very wary of making the change, citing the higher cost of electric vehicles as well as insufficient charging infrastructure. They can also be more expensive to maintain and require additional equipment, such as electric charging ports at home.
Biden has set a goal of making sure that half of all car purchases are electric by the year 2030 in an initiative that critics say is being forced upon Americans.
While electric vehicle registrations have grown by more than 500 percent in the U.S. since 2017, they still only made up less than 1 percent of overall vehicle registrations in the country last year.
Many vehicle manufacturers have already started to reduce their investments in the technology in the face of weak demand and consumer skepticism.
Sources for this article include:
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
Hate to make the point…..but Model Ts had more reliability issues than the average horse.
That said…..I’m still 100% for vehicles with internal combustion propulsion.
The left has a long winning record…..because their “opponents” are basically functionally inept……so they’re not going to let up on EVs…..or cheating on elections.
You are correct on all accounts
If you are not mechanically inclined you may fail to see the big picture on EV’s. As vehicles have advanced (I do not consider much of it advancement) they’ve introduced more and more gizmo’s. The more stuff you have the more points of possible failure you have. At least in the internal combustion we’ve had a hundred years to improve reliability. Still, component failure will stop you cold. But at least it is usually a simple sensor replacement. On an EV you are driving a computer. And when things fail you will not be replacing a simple sensor. More likely EV repair will be component replacement, no one actually fixes things, they replace units. And trust this, those “units” will be way more expensive than an o2 sensor.
Many a tech. innovation follows a learning/debugging curve. Late 78rmp records were better fidelity than 33 1/3 early recordings, which later were much more audio friendly than the first CDs. And people have a short memory for all, the exploding Pintos, Corvairs s running off of the road, air bags breaking your nose if you were lucky and massive recalls.
The earth worshipers strike again!
Those of us that can, do without. We keep our good old gas/diesel vehicles running and well maintained.
I much prefer my vehicle run on gas rather than coal.
99 Jeep TJ here, I can fuel it, fix it, and by God most likely be buried in it.
No offense, but all these articles on EVs, or why natural gas is better and more ecologically friendly, are both nebulous and silly — — and besides the point, TPTB want every remaining human on THE GRID so they can exert greater control and domination, leading to further depopulation!
Just like using lawfare to dramatically shrink the number of pharmacies across the country, thereby exerting greater control over distribution, enhancing TPTB ability to spread the mRNA to all (and restrict vitamins and other intake to further attack our health and welfare)!!!
All this random stuff is connected and seldom if ever random at all!
People that have bought into so called climate change are fools. What man does or emits is a pimple on an elephants ass compared to what mother nature spews. Our climate is governed by volcanic activity, solar flares and Earth’s rotational axis which is slightly different every year.
Exactly.
Currently the greatest deception, climate change.
And yes, it is all connected.
The great “plan” to depopulate our world.
Even greater deceptions will be exposed.
The lies are centuries old.