Electric cars prove more reliable at high mileages
An analysis of 47.4 million British MOT tests found fewer failures among electric cars, but did not measure battery health.
Electric cars with high mileages fail British MOT tests less often than comparable petrol cars. The analysis is extensive, but the research was funded by trade association BVRLA and is not a peer-reviewed study.
Researchers at transport organisation New AutoMotive analysed 47.4 million British MOT tests. Among cars with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the clock, 16.5 per cent of electric cars failed, compared with 22.1 per cent of comparable petrol cars. Above 120,000 miles, the figures were 16.0 and 23.5 per cent respectively, according to the analysis.
The data come from official records held by the British Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. The MOT is Britain’s periodic vehicle safety test, checking brakes, tyres, lighting, steering and suspension, among other things. The analysis therefore says mainly something about defects that lead to a failure. It does not directly measure how long a battery lasts or how much range a car loses.
The researchers compared cars by age and mileage. This matters because electric cars are younger on average than petrol cars. A lower likelihood of failure may be linked to fewer moving parts, but also to differences in models, use, maintenance and age. The analysis therefore establishes a statistical association, but not that the powertrain alone causes the difference.
According to the researchers, tyre defects were actually more common among electric cars. The greater weight of some models did not lead to clearly more suspension problems in this dataset. The findings are also based on Great Britain. Dutch cars, testing rules and maintenance patterns may differ.
The study is relevant to the used-car market because high mileages have traditionally been seen as a risk. Caution is nevertheless needed when drawing conclusions about total ownership costs. Battery replacement, charging options, insurance and depreciation are not the same as the likelihood of passing an MOT. The analysis does not automatically make electric cars the best choice for every buyer.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and limitations were checked against BVRLA, DVSA and a second report on the analysis. The text avoids causal claims and makes the industry funding visible.
- confirmed The analysis covers 47.4 million British MOT tests. — This figure appears in BVRLA’s publication. source
- confirmed At 90,000 to 120,000 miles, 16.5 per cent of EVs failed, compared with 22.1 per cent of petrol cars. — The percentages are cited in reporting on the analysis. source
- confirmed The analysis does not measure battery health or range. — The MOT dataset used contains test results and defects, not battery-capacity measurements. source
Editor's note
The analysis is extensive and uses official MOT data, but was commissioned by BVRLA and has not been published as peer-reviewed research. Battery degradation and Dutch conditions fall outside the scope of the measurement.Sources
- The 60,000-mile rule is dead: high-mileage electric cars prove more durable than petrol — British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
- MOT Anonymised Data — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
- High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds — EIA Media
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „elektrische auto”
- AD — „elektrische auto”
- de Volkskrant — „elektrische auto”