This week’s roundup of electric car news includes some surprising global charging costs, Germany’s worst electric cars and the hard truth about plug-in hybrids. Here’s what you need to know:
Germany reveals electric car with least (and most) faults
Germany’s respected automotive inspection regulator TÜV has released the results of its annual TÜV report, which inspected 9.5 million vehicles, including a full range of electric vehicles, for roadworthiness.
While we’re interested in the winner (the Mini Cooper SE and Audi Q4 e-tron are the least problematic in the four-to-seven-year group), it’s the vehicle at the bottom of the rankings that we’re most eager to see.
That crown belongs to Tesla. In fact, this is true for the bottom two models: For cars that are two to three years old, the Model 3 has a defect rate of 13.1%, while the Model Y has a measly 17.3% defect rate. That makes it the worst model in this age group of the decade.
A new study reveals some key factors for plug-in hybrids
A large European study of PHEVs shows that although carmakers predict drivers will use plug-in hybrids in electric mode 80% of the time, the actual figure is only 30%. This means the total amount of carbon pollution produced by many drivers is five times higher than predicted.
The study captured data from hundreds of thousands of plug-in hybrid vehicles during wireless analysis and maintenance visits.
Part of the problem is that early PHEVs had very low battery range (we’re talking 30 to 50 miles). And many of these models are company cars, so drivers don’t have to pay for gas at all, and they probably don’t care too much.
Switching to natural gas prices? The survey calculated that drivers spend an average of about $800 at the pump each year.
The most expensive countries to drive an electric car are…
Some countries are more welcoming to electric vehicles than others. Even among those who love electric vehicles, the cost of charging them varies widely.
Australian insurance expert The Burrow attempted to put together a definitive global report on the cost of fully charging a Tesla Model Y.
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The most expensive? Ireland (about $32), followed by Italy ($31), Liechtenstein, Germany, Belgium and the UK are all slightly cheaper.
The cheapest of them all is Vietnam, where a full charge only costs $5.73, followed by Ukraine, India, China and Turkey.
Porsche’s new models tend to be luxurious
If you’re in the market for a $165,000 wirelessly charging electric SUV, the 2026 Porsche Cayenne Electric is your dream car. It will be the most powerful production car in the automaker’s history, with 1,139 horsepower.
According to Porsche, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 16 minutes using a fast charger. As for the pad charger, there is no specific data yet, but it will be slower.
Oddly, the launch comes just moments after Porsche said its business model for luxury electric cars no longer works.
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