None of the world’s leading electric vehicle platforms achieved more than 76% reliability in charging processes, according to the latest Charging Reliability Index (CRI) published by German e-mobility company EcoG.
The second edition of the CRI assessed 10 platforms, including BMW UKL2, Ford GE1, Geely SEA, Hyundai E-GMP, Lucid Air, Mercedes MFA2, SAIC LWB, Stellantis CMP, Tesla Model 3/Y and Volkswagen’s MEB. The highest-performing system scored 76 points out of 100, while the lowest reached 39.
“Concerns about EV charging reliability are replacing range anxiety as one of the biggest hurdles for the adoption of electric mobility. Studies show that still 1 in 10 charging attempts fail,” EcoG said in its report. The company, which develops software for DC charging stations, based its 2025 index on 20 tests covering charging initialization, charging process, error recovery and user communication.
The report cited unresolved problems such as “authorisation timeouts,” where a charging session is aborted because of overly strict time windows between vehicle and charger communication. Four out of 10 platforms imposed a 60-second limit before canceling, while two systems varied depending on the protocol selected, creating further confusion.
EcoG also flagged risks linked to 12-volt batteries, which power vehicle safety and control systems. In some cases, repeated failed charging attempts drained the battery to the point where vehicles became inoperable. “Three of the tested vehicle platforms repeated these attempts infinitely,” the analysts said.
Despite shortcomings, EcoG noted progress since its first study in 2023. No vehicles in the 2025 tests showed dangerously weak communication signals, seven out of 10 platforms now support Transport Layer Security for charging communication, and all models prevent vehicles from being moved while connected to a charger.
“Taken together, these results show steady progress across the industry but the best CRI value of 76% also highlights the importance of further improving charging interface implementations to achieve a reliable and user-friendly charging experience,” the company concluded.
