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TÜV Report: E-cars conquer used car market - political support needed

The electric cars are slowly conquering the used car market. For the first time, ten electric vehicles are included in the general inspection evaluation. Tesla Model 3 ranks last in the listing, while VW e-Golf and Hyundai Kona Electric take top positions. TÜV Association: Politics needs to better support the young market for used electric cars. Danger to road safety: Vehicle fleet continues to age.

Makes a good impression, even as a used electric car: The Hyundai Kona Electric managed to rank quite high in the TÜV ranking. However, ahead of it was the long-discontinued VW e-Golf. | Photo: Hyundai
Makes a good impression, even as a used electric car: The Hyundai Kona Electric managed to rank quite high in the TÜV ranking. However, ahead of it was the long-discontinued VW e-Golf. | Photo: Hyundai
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Electric cars perform at the main inspection (HU) compared to other vehicles from very good to average to poor. This is shown by the results of the "TÜV Report 2025", in which for the first time ten electric vehicles were included in the evaluation. "Electric cars are conquering – slowly but surely – the used car market," explained Joachim Bühler, Managing Director of the TÜV Association, at the presentation of the TÜV Report 2025.

"The main inspection shows: Electric vehicles are technically neither safer nor more unsafe than vehicles with combustion engines." Nevertheless, TÜV experts repeatedly encounter some drive-specific deficiencies in electric cars.

"The axle suspensions in many electric cars cannot cope with the high weight of the drive battery and wear out prematurely," Bühler specifies. "The brakes of electric cars are used less often due to recuperation. The result: The brake discs show defects and the braking function deteriorates." Drivers should therefore make sure to consciously use the brakes regularly.

Tesla Model 3 performs particularly poorly

The Tesla Model 3 performs particularly poorly: 14.2 percent of the inspected vehicles fail the first HU after three years with significant defects. In the ranking of the 111 vehicles inspected in this age group, the Tesla ranks last, as well as among the 4- to 5-year-olds. "The poor performance of the Model 3 cannot be disguised by the high mileage either," said Bühler. "In addition to defects in brakes and axles, Tesla also has a particularly high number of lighting defects. This indicates deficiencies in service and maintenance." The manufacturer would need to make improvements here and the owners should pay more attention to maintenance. The Renault Zoe also falls into the red area with a defect rate of 8.9 percent.

e-Golf and Hyundai Kona perform well

The VW e-Golf performs significantly better, landing in ninth place with a defect rate of 3.4 percent and winning the compact class. Also leading: The Hyundai Kona Electric with a defect rate of 4.0 percent and the Mini Cooper SE with 4.4 percent. The VW ID.3 (5.0 percent) and the VW ID.4/ID.5 (5.9 percent) are in the midfield. In the overall evaluation of the TÜV Report 2025 across all car models and age groups, 20.6 percent fail the HU with "significant" or "dangerous defects." This is a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.

"The defect rates are rising for the third time in a row and the proportion of defect-free vehicles continues to decrease," said Bühler. "Every fifth car is on the road with significant technical defects and must be presented again after repair."

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For "significant defects," the repair must be completed within four weeks. For "dangerous defects," only a direct drive to a workshop is allowed to promptly fix the defect. This applies to approximately 160,000 vehicles across all main inspections. About 15,000 vehicles have been classified as "unsafe to drive" by TÜV experts and have been immobilized on the spot. Reasons include issues like cracked brake lines, a locking steering system, or rust on supporting parts. The proportion of vehicles with "minor defects" is 11.5 percent (up 0.3 points). 67.9 percent are "without defects" (down 0.4 points).

The overall winner is the small car Honda Jazz

The average age of the vehicle fleet has risen again and is currently 10.3 years, according to KBA. In comparison, ten years ago it was 8.8 years. "Vehicle longevity is increasing, yet the aging vehicle population poses a problem for road safety," said Bühler. "Many drivers cannot afford to purchase a new or used car due to increased prices." Maintenance and care also suffer due to the challenging economic situation. According to the TÜV report, 23.0 percent of vehicles aged 10 to 11 years fail the inspection. For those 12 to 13 years old, it's even 28.1 percent. Particularly bad in this age class are the Renault Twingo with 41.5 percent and the Dacia Logan with 41.0 percent.

The e-Golf wins in the compact class

Models like the VW Golf Plus with 20.6 percent or Mitsubishi ASX with 19.6 percent show significantly better results. An exceptional case is the Porsche 911 Carrera with a failure rate of only 7.9 percent. The overall winner of the current TÜV Report 2025 is the small car Honda Jazz. Only 2.4 percent of 2 to 3-year-old vehicles present significant defects at the TÜV. This is the lowest defect rate among all tested vehicles. The Porsche 911 Carrera dominates the other age classes. In various vehicle classes, the Kia Picanto (6.4 percent) stands out among mini cars in the 2 to 3 years old category, and the overall winner Honda Jazz (2.4 percent) among small cars. The winner in the compact class is the VW e-Golf (3.4 percent), and in the mid-size class, it's the Audi A4/A5 (4.7 percent). The VW Golf Sportsvan wins among vans with 2.5 percent, and the Audi Q2 with 2.6 percent among SUVs.

"The TÜV report shows that manufacturers perform very differently depending on model and age class," said Bühler. "High quality and longevity are rewarded by customers and contribute to road safety on Germany's streets."

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Better Support for the Used Electric Car Market

The TÜV Association calls for additional efforts from politicians to support the market for used electric cars. “The TÜV report shows, based on mileage, that electric cars have a similar usage profile to combustion vehicles,” said Bühler. The Tesla Model 3 stands out in this regard, having covered an average of 53,000 kilometers in three years. The average for all vehicles in this age group is 42,000 kilometers. This is partly due to Tesla having built its own network of charging stations. “The ‘German range anxiety’ remains an issue for many potential car buyers,” said Bühler. Therefore, the charging infrastructure needs to be further expanded, with political support. To support the emerging market for used electric cars, a clear commitment from politicians is needed.

“The almost overnight suspension of electric car subsidies, discussions about e-fuels, and the end of the combustion engine have massively damaged trust in electromobility,” said Bühler.

The next federal government must send a clear message so that German car manufacturers can be successful in their home market. Moreover, from the perspective of the TÜV Association, it is necessary to better monitor the safety of electric cars. "So far, only a visual inspection of the drive battery is carried out," said Bühler. "The high-voltage system should be checked with additional checkpoints to ensure protection against electric shock and overvoltage." Inspection organizations need better access to vehicle data for this purpose. As part of the main inspection, the current state of the drive battery (State of Health) should also be determined.

“The drive battery is by far the most valuable component of an electric car and crucial for its safety,” said Bühler. “Determining the battery's condition should be done according to comparable standards and should be part of the main inspection program.”

So far, manufacturers, inspection organizations, and other service providers offer different procedures. Bühler: “Proof of battery health is an important factor for the development of the used electric car market.” A digital advancement of the main inspection is also necessary. “Inspection organizations must be able to verify whether vehicles are using the approved software in the correct version,” said Bühler. This is the only way to ensure the cybersecurity of vehicles.

Digital Vehicle Register Needed

The TÜV Association is also advocating for the establishment of a national digital vehicle register. In addition to vehicle history with owner changes, all safety and environmentally relevant vehicle modifications could be documented. Bühler: “Along with conveniences for citizens and administrations, a digital vehicle register brings a security gain as it makes fraud and manipulation more difficult.”

The AutoBild TÜV Report 2025 has been published for over 50 years and examines the technical safety of vehicles on Germany's roads. One focus in the current issue is electromobility. In addition to e-models in the main inspection evaluation, the magazine presents other electric vehicles. “In the service section, readers learn how to determine the condition of the drive battery when buying or selling a used electric car and whether special tires are worth it for electric vehicles,” said Maurice Shahd, editor-in-chief of the AutoBild TÜV Report.

Methodology Note:

For the TÜV Report 2025, produced in collaboration with AutoBild, 10.2 million main inspections of passenger cars were evaluated, conducted from July 2023 to June 2024. The current TÜV Report investigated 228 different vehicle types, including ten pure electric vehicles (BEV).

Translated automatically from German.
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