If you think this is what puts you off EVs, then you haven't read the horror stories from EV Clinic.

TL;DR is many EVs and hybrids (especially European ones) have tonnes of design faults with e-motors and power-electronics that not only make them ticking time bombs(not in the explosive sense) out of warranty, but also have malicious DRM making third party parts impossible to source, and repairs difficult and eye watering expensive even if theoretically EVs should be more reliable on paper than ICE cars.

Maybe the EU should focus more on EV/auto repairability regulations instead of smartphones and USB-C widgets.

Luckily EV Clinic is working hard on breaking the DRM and reverse engineering parts to make and sell aftermarket ones, but this shouldn't be needed in the first place if the OEMs weren't so bad at design, greedy and hostile to consumers and aftermarket repairs.

Seriously, we need regulations here ASAP. The free market doesn't work here for the consumer when OEMs all do the same anti consumer things.

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mort96 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

The DRM thing unfortunately has nothing to do with EVs and everything to do with the computerization of cars. All cars have gotten more and more computerized and harder to repair with more DRM. EVs arguably fundamentally require heavy computerization more than ICE cars, but you're not gonna avoid it in a brand new diesel car either.

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5 days ago | parent | next [-]

[deleted]

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jimnotgym 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That is why I keep fixing up my old Diesels. No DPF, basic EGR, basic computer, no worries.

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FirmwareBurner 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

That's why I said repair regulations are needed for all cars not just EVs.

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arpinum 5 days ago | parent [-]

The EU did put in regulations, but they did the opposite and essentially mandated DRM. They want to prevent owners from turning off nanny devices or overriding pollution controls.

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FirmwareBurner 5 days ago | parent [-]

Can you share what car repairability regulations did the EU put into place? Because following the posts of EV Clinic it seems like the opposite.

	▲	mort96 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		I don't think there's disagreement here: > The EU did put in regulations, but they did the opposite and essentially mandated DRM is the same statement as: > following the posts of EV Clinic it seems like [the EU did] the opposite Where both posts use "the opposite" to mean "the opposite of creating in regulations to enforce repairability" .

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theshrike79 5 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Hybrids are a different breed, they're very very bad. Don't ever buy one out of warranty and be REALLY sure what the warranty covers.

FYI: Mercedes Benz hybrids have a full(*) battery warranty. What's the asterisk you ask? The warranty only covers repairs up to the car's current value. Which has plummeted over the few years you've owned it and the cost of the battery is absolutely ridiculous. Like "buy 3 used Leafs" ridiculous.

Most hybrid batteries are also blobs of molten plastic and silicone that can't be repaired at all. EV batteries are constructed of semi-standard cells and can be opened and repaired piecemeal by specialist shops. Official repairs usually just swap the whole thing - again for a massive cost.

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jacquesm 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> Maybe the EU should focus more on EV/auto repairability regulations instead of smartphones and USB-C widgets.

Maybe they should do both.