Study: High-mileage used EVs fail MOTs less often than petrol cars
Analysis of 47.4m MOT tests finds electric cars with 90,000+ miles are markedly more likely to pass than petrol equivalents.
What to know
- EVs with 90,000-120,000 miles were about 25% less likely to fail MOTs than petrol cars of the same age (16.5% vs 22.1% failure rate).
- Beyond 120,000 miles, the gap persisted: 16% EV failure rate versus 23.5% for petrol.
- MOT tests don't measure battery health or degradation, so buyers still need to check that separately alongside roadworthiness.
- EVs showed weaknesses too — nearly double the tyre defects of petrol cars, and more brake corrosion issues on older, low-mileage EVs.
“That matters because the used market is where the transition to electric becomes accessible to millions more motorists. Giving buyers confidence in these cars will be critical to creating a healthy and affordable secondhand EV market.”
Toby Poston, BVRLA chief executive · Guardian ↗ · Sep 21
Toby Poston BVRLA chief executiveBen Nelmes Chief executive, New AutoMotiveNew AutoMotive Consultancy that conducted the researchBritish Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) Industry group that commissioned the study
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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New AutoMotive study finds high-mileage EVs outperform petrol cars in MOTs
Analysis of 47.4m MOT tests found EVs with 90,000-120,000 miles had a 16.5% failure rate versus 22.1% for petrol cars of the same age; beyond 120,000 miles, 16% of EVs failed compared with 23.5% of petrol cars. The study, commissioned by the BVRLA, also found EVs had nearly twice as many tyre defects and older, low-mileage EVs showed more friction-brake defects linked to corrosion from underuse.
“What we can now challenge is the idea that an electric car with 80,000 or 100,000 miles on the clock should automatically be regarded as worn out.”
— Toby Poston -
first by The Telegraph, 1d ago · also Guardian, Guardian Environment
1 more headline
- High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds The Guardian · 1d ago
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first by The Independent, 1d ago · also CarsGuide
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Motorists buying a secondhand car with a lot of miles on the clock are likely to find an electric vehicle (EV) ultimately more reliable than a petrol vehicle, according to a study. An analysis of 47.4m MOT tests found that after cars were driven 90,000 to 120,000 miles, EVs were about 25% less likely to fail than petrol models of the same age…
2 more of the top 3 · 14 posts in this stretch
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I think we are in two different wiewpoints but standing on the same side of th efence, i am not Anti EV but i will not blithely accept the propaganda either, Evs are nice, improving a lot but also have a huge downside, that of manufacturer gategeeping on repair, Unavailability of spares to the general public and lack of a service and repair manual…
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This stud not be surprising. Simpler vehicles (at least the earlier ones are, silly electronic car ‘extensions’ might change reliability, although MOTs doesn’t check them) will be easier to keep running. MOTs are a simple metric, but probably a decent indicatr of trends https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20…
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What people are saying 12 voices from 2 sites · best of 15 · verbatim
- Yesterday
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That’s not an EV problem though. That’s a Tesla problem. Don’t conflate the two.
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Whoopsie! High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20 26/sep/22/high-mileage-used-electric-cars-reliable-petrol-ev-mot
- Sep 22
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because EVs have like 5 parts and gas cars have like 50 I fully expect my Hyundai Ioniq 6 to last f*o*r*e*v*e*r it's not magic, it's physics: fewer moving parts means less to go wrong Used EVs are an excellent way for folks to go electric https://www. theguardian.com/environment/20 26/sep/22/high-mileage-used-electric-cars-reliable-petrol-ev-mot
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They only wear out faster if you make full use of the incredible torque and acceleration. Which definitely makes them more fun to drive. But mine haven't seemed to wear out noticeably faster.
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The obvious must be stated these days, when half the population submits themselves to a constant propaganda stream to beat the obvious things out of themselves.
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No? I’m at just over 32,000 miles on my factory ID.4 tires with 5/32nd left. Check your alignment and right foot pressure otherwise lol
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Gas costs more and is much worse for the environment though I don't get the idea that electric cars have to be perfect to be a better alternative
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New British study: # ElectricVehicles are more reliable, stay on the road longer than gas powered cars. https:// electrek.co/2026/09/22/massive -uk-study-finds-high-mileage-electric-cars-more-durable-than-petrol/
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My car has 206k miles (Infinity) and my wife’s car has 267k (Toyota). Neither has needed a repair other than regular maintenance. Both built in 2010. I’m curious to see how 16 year old electric cars are fairing in comparison to decently built cars.
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If its gotten it's engine rebuilt and lots of maintenance done, that an EV wouldn't need, you could argue that an electric car with a new battery and maybe refurbished motors will also last. Electric motors have few moving parts, so they should last at least as much as a well maintained engine, while not needing much maintenance like oil etc, no?
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https://www. europesays.com/3266381/ High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds | Electric, hybrid and low-emission cars # business
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Massive UK study finds high-mileage electric cars more durable than petrol https:// electrek.co/2026/09/22/massive -uk-study-finds-high-mileage-electric-cars-more-durable-than-petrol/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon