High-mileage EVs have better MOT pass rates than petrol cars, study finds

New research shows that EVs are less likely to fail an MOT than petrol equivalents as mileage increases, according to data commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA).

Analysis of 47.4-million official DVSA MOT records by transport research organisation, New AutoMotive found that failure rates of EVs level off at around 60,000 miles, while those of petrol-powered vehicles continue to rise.

The data shows that, between 90,000 and 120,000-miles, 16.5% of EVs failed an MOT, compared with 22.1% of petrol cars. Above 120k-miles, the gap widened further, with failure rates of 16.0% for EVs and 23.5% for petrol cars.

At lower mileages, there was little difference: between 20,000 and 40,000-miles, 12.0% of EVs failed compared with 11.7% of petrol cars.

The study also found that 94.6% of electric cars were still returning for an MOT at 15-years-old compared with 88.1% of petrol cars.

Furthermore, the research found no evidence that the additional weight of EVs results in more problems related to the vehicles' suspension systems. However, EVs recorded around nearly twice as many tyre defects as petrol-powered cars.

The BVRLA said the findings could have implications for the used EV market, particularly as many vehicles entering the second-hand market have previously been operated by company and leasing fleets.

For fleets, these findings by BVRLA represent proven durability of electric cars as they've aged well-above a decade. However, fleet operators must keep in mind that the MOT data doesn't assess battery health, degradation or charging performance. Separate checks on the vehicle's battery condition should be undertaken or proven before pulling the trigger on a used EV.

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