All Categories

Repair testing / 8 sub-categories

Automotive Repair & Testing Equipment

Diagnostic tools for leak tracing, visual inspection, battery health, circuits, pressure, spark, oil, and electrical readings.

Leak tracingSmoke Leak DetectorFind EVAP, intake, vacuum, exhaust, and sealed-system leaks faster. Visual inspectionSmart Articulating BorescopeInspect cylinders, pipes, panels, and hidden spaces with controlled camera movement. Battery healthBattery System TesterCheck battery, starting, charging, and electrical supply conditions. Circuit diagnosisAutomotive Circuit TesterTrace power, ground, continuity, shorts, and component activation faults. Fluid checkOil Analysis TesterEvaluate oil condition and contamination clues before deeper diagnosis. CompressionEngine Pressure TesterMeasure cylinder, fuel, vacuum, and pressure performance. Ignition testSpark Plug TesterVerify ignition spark behavior and plug performance before replacement. Electrical meterAutomotive Diagnostic MultimeterRead voltage, resistance, current, frequency, and automotive signals.

Repair maintenance / 6 sub-categories

Automotive Repair & Maintenance Equipment

Service equipment for fluid exchange, A/C diagnostics, refrigerant recovery, oil handling, and cooling-system work.

ATF serviceTransmission Fluid ExchangerExchange automatic transmission fluid with controlled flow. Brake fluidPulsating Brake Fluid ExchangerFlush brake fluid with pulsed pressure for consistent bleeding. A/C gaugeSmart Digital Manifold GaugeMonitor refrigerant pressure, vacuum, temperature, and A/C data. A/C recoveryRefrigerant Recovery MachineRecover, vacuum, and recharge refrigerant for repeatable A/C service. Oil handlingPneumatic Oil Drainer & ExtractorDrain and extract used oil cleanly in service environments. Cooling serviceCooling System Tester and FillerPressure test, vacuum fill, and reduce trapped air.

Carbon cleaning / 3 sub-categories

Carbon Deposit Cleaning Equipment

Carbon-removal equipment for injectors, intake valves, components, and workshop cleaning jobs.

Injector benchFuel Injector Cleaner & TesterClean injectors and compare spray, flow, leakage, and atomization. Walnut blastingWalnut Sand De-Carbon CleanerRemove intake valve carbon deposits using walnut media. Dry ice cleaningDry Ice Blasting MachineClean carbon, grease, and grime with reduced residue.

Wheel tire / 3 sub-categories

Wheel and Tire Repair Equipment

Equipment for alignment, lifting, tire repair, tire mounting, and service-bay workflows.

Alignment3D Wheel Aligner MachineMeasure alignment angles and support tire-wear correction. Bay liftingLifting EquipmentLift vehicles for underbody, tire, brake, and suspension work. Tire serviceServe the TireSupport tire mounting, balancing, repair, and routine tire service.

Tool storage / 1 sub-category

Workshop Tool Storage Series

Storage products for keeping workshop tools, test equipment, and accessories organized.

Shop organizationWorkshop Tool StorageKeep diagnostic tools and repair equipment organized by bay.

EV charging / 1 sub-category

Electric Vehicle Charger Series

EV charging products for new-energy vehicle service, workshop use, and installation scenarios.

New energyEV ChargingBrowse electric vehicle charging products for garage and shop use.

OBD diagnosis / 4 sub-categories

OBD Diagnostic Tools

OBD-related testers, cable products, used-car inspection tools, and key frequency diagnostics.

Used car checkUsed Car Diagnostic TesterInspect used vehicles and identify hidden system faults. Key signalAutomotive Key Frequency TesterCheck remote key frequency signals and key diagnostics. Connector cableOBD CablesFind diagnostic cables and connectors for vehicle interfaces. Cable setOBD Cable SeriesBrowse OBD cable families for models, adapters, and setups.

Accessories / 8 sub-categories

Accessories

Replacement parts, adapters, consumables, cables, and add-ons for major diagnostic and service equipment.

Alignment parts3D Wheel Aligner AccessoriesTargets, clamps, parts, and support items for alignment machines. Leak accessoriesSmoke Leak Detector AccessoriesAdapters, hoses, caps, and consumables for smoke testing. Camera partsAutomotive Inspection Camera AccessoriesCamera probes, hooks, mirrors, cables, and inspection attachments. Injector partsFuel Injector Cleaner & Tester AccessoriesAdapters, tubes, seals, and service parts for injector benches. Walnut partsWalnut Blasting Machine AccessoriesNozzles, hoses, adapters, and parts for walnut de-carbon cleaning. Dry ice partsDry Ice Blasting Machine AccessoriesNozzles, tubes, fittings, and support for dry ice blasting. A/C partsA/C Refrigerant Recovery & Recharge Machine AccessoriesHoses, couplers, filters, fittings, and service parts for A/C machines. Battery partsBattery Tester AccessoriesClamps, cables, adapters, and add-ons for battery testers.

News & Events

Consumer Reports: Electric vehicles are less reliable and have more problems than gas vehicles

januar 21, 2022

News & Events

Consumer Reports: Electric Vehicles Are Less Reliable Than Gas Vehicles

Electric vehicles seem to be a hot market, but they are still essentially a new technology. With fewer commercially available models and less experience from some automakers, it is not surprising that reliability is being questioned.

The original article refers to a report from Consumer Reports, a leading U.S. media outlet, which said that electric vehicles had a much higher incidence of problems than their internal combustion engine counterparts.

Reliability Context

Why reliability was questioned

EV Reliability Was Still Being Tested by the Market

According to Consumer Reports, the few electric models on the market at that time were either produced by new car makers that had never built a car before, such as Tesla, Lucid, Rivian in the U.S., and XPENG, Nio Inc., and Li Auto Inc. in China, or by traditional automakers that had only recently developed their first electric vehicles, such as Toyota and General Motors.

In either case, unfamiliarity with the vehicle manufacturing process or the characteristics of EVs can easily lead to compromised quality and reliability. This is the reason Consumer Reports believed electric vehicles had more problems than internal combustion engine vehicles.

Consumer Reports EV reliability discussion image 1

Consumer Reports EV reliability discussion image 2

Reported Problems

Where EV problems appeared

Problem Areas Mentioned by Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports indicated that electric vehicles had a high probability of problems in areas such as on-board electronics, noise and fluid leaks, power equipment, air conditioning systems, body hardware, drive systems, body paint, and trim.

High-profile issues

The article pointed to the Chevrolet Bolt spontaneous combustion issue and Tesla’s well-known quality control issues as examples that damaged the quality image of electric vehicles.

Smaller reliability issues

There were also smaller issues that affected the reputation of EV reliability. For example, the Audi e-tron display blackout was described as an onboard electronics failure, while the same model’s exterior door lighting issue was described as a power equipment failure.

Tesla examples

The article also noted that Tesla electric vehicles had many problems, from poor trim assembly and paint defects on the Model Y to the Model X Falcon doors and sealing issues.

Consumer Reports EV problem category discussion

Manufacturer Challenges

New and traditional automakers face different gaps

Why EV Reliability Is Hard to Improve Quickly

Ultimately, the article argued that these problems stem from automakers not yet knowing enough about all the aspects that contribute to vehicle reliability. For an EV manufacturer like Tesla, the first task is to build cars in high volume while ensuring reliability.

For traditional automakers, the task is different. They need to understand the peculiarities of EVs, the best configuration of software, and the key issues in areas that may be unfamiliar because they are unique to electric vehicles.

Consumer Reports EV manufacturer reliability challenge image

This is not only a reliability issue like those seen in the early days of the automotive industry. It is also an EV knowledge diffusion issue. New EV owners are more tech-savvy and have higher expectations for infotainment systems and software-related areas. At the same time, owners accustomed to the fine craftsmanship of traditional cars expect the same quality level in electric vehicles.

Summary

EV Reliability Was Improving, but Still Behind Gas Vehicles

The good news mentioned in the article was that new cars coming to market in the U.S. in 2021 showed better reliability overall, both for electric and internal combustion engine vehicles.

Even so, electric vehicles were still considered less reliable than internal combustion engine vehicles in the article. Stay tuned to Autooltech for more news on electric vehicle quality.