EVs Breakdown Too But For A Strange Reason

Electric vehicles are simple because unlike ICE ones, they don’t have thousands of moving parts. Instead, they rely on far fewer ones to get things done. As such, there’s no engine misfires, troublesome fuel pumps, dodgy starter motors and a plethora of other gremlins to worry about that could throw a spanner into the works.

That said, EVs still break down due to a simple reason: the death of their humble 12V battery. EVs have come a long way in the past decade and in some ways have surpassed ICE vehicles in certain areas. But they still rely on the ancient 12V battery that is installed in every ICE vehicle on the road today.

All electric vehicles use two different electrical systems. They use a large and high-capacity battery pack to power the electric motor and a regular 12V battery to power the 12-volt system used for the door locks, air conditioning, safety equipment and important controls for the drivetrain.

According to research done by Start Rescue, which is part of the UK’s fourth largest breakdown and recovery service, Call Assist, it found that 23.7% of EV breakdown calls are due to not being able to “start” them with the key. That said, it’s a little lower than the 29.7% of similar incidents for owners of ICE vehicles.

​​“EVs are very reliable but, like all cars, they have a 12-volt battery that needs to be looked after,” says Lee Puffett, Managing Director of Start Rescue. “Overall, EVs are less likely to require a breakdown call-out than ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, but EVs need to be driven to avoid the 12-volt battery going flat over time.”

The 12V battery works with the power relay to connect and disconnect the battery pack from the car’s electrical system. When you turn off an EV, the power relay cuts off the battery pack from supplying any power. This is also a safety feature that prevents emergency responders from getting shocked while tending to trapped occupants of a car crash.

When you turn on an EV, the 12V battery supplies power to tell the power relay to connect the main battery pack to the EV’s system. That’s what gives the car the power it needs to move. The 12V battery then takes on the role as a buffer, helping to smoothen out the electricity delivery from the battery pack. It is also being recharged as well at the same time.

This is why Start Rescue says it’s imperative that EV owners read the vehicle’s manual and learn how to maintain the 12-volt battery’s charge. Regardless of how sophisticated Evs are, if their humble lead-acid battery (12v) lets them down, they’re reduced to nothing more than extremely expensive bricks.

Lee Puffett also says, “Charging up the car regularly will top up the 12-volt battery as it charges differently to an ICE car. Pre-conditioning the car’s cabin temperature while it’s on charge is a big help, and you can also use a ‘trickle’ charger if you know the car will be parked up for longer periods, such as when you go on holiday.”

One of the main ways to keep the 12V battery happy is to use an EV regularly. When it is turned on and allowed to run, the battery pack recharges the 12V battery as and when needed. It’s a similar story with ICE vehicles. The longer they are kept in storage, the less likely it is to start their engines.