When it comes to reliable cars, the newest and latest aren’t always best.
Electric vehicles fare poorly in the latest reliability study from Consumer Reports, with Tesla Inc. and its battery-powered lineup finishing second to last for the second straight year. Only Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln division was worse, the publisher said Nov. 18.
But there’s a twist: It’s not the battery or motor that makes EVs less reliable. It’s the glitchy new gadgets that carmakers, especially Tesla, pack in to make their vehicles feel modern and appeal to early adopters. EVs tend to have touchscreen controls for climate, seat controls and other devices that once were mechanical, leading to problems.
