ADAC Breakdown Statistics: Increasing Number of E-Car Cases - Battery Issues Most Common

ADAC roadside assistance was called significantly more often last year than in 2022: with 3,531,058 deployments, the Yellow Angels recorded an increase of 3.4 percent (117,570 deployments) compared to the previous year. The most common cause of breakdowns was a defective battery at 44.1 percent. Engine damage or issues with the engine management system (including HV system) ranked second at 22.8 percent, while defects in the generator, starter, electrical system, and lighting ranked third at 10.5 percent. The record day was December 4, 2023, with 18,378 deployments. The months with the most breakdowns were December and August. One reason for the increase in breakdown cases was the overall rise in traffic volume.

Curious: Batteries are the most common cause of breakdowns in both conventional and electric cars

With the rise of electromobility, the number of breakdowns for electric cars is also noticeably increasing. In 2023, ADAC registered 30,009 deployments for purely electric vehicles, which is about 50 percent more than in 2022. Here, too, the starter battery was the number one cause of breakdowns, responsible for more than half of all incidents. Hybrid cars broke down 43,565 times last year, with the starter battery to blame in 64 percent of all cases. The bicycle roadside assistance service, which started in June 2022, also recorded a strong increase in deployments. The Yellow Angels managed to get 15,680 bicycles back on the road last year. The most common cause of breakdowns for bicycles was tire damage at 69 percent, followed by chain problems at a distant 8 percent. Since its launch in June 2022, ADAC has registered a total of 21,213 bicycle deployments by the end of 2023.