A landmark analysis of more than 45 million Ministry of Transport (MOT) test records has provided a definitive look at the long-term reliability of electric vehicles, suggesting that battery-powered cars are significantly more durable than their internal combustion engine counterparts as they age. The research, conducted by the prominent data and policy organization New AutoMotive, indicates that while the difference in reliability between petrol and electric cars is negligible during their early years, a dramatic divergence occurs once vehicles surpass the 120,000-mile mark. According to the findings, high-mileage electric vehicles are approximately 25% less likely to fail their MOT than petrol equivalents, challenging long-standing skepticism regarding the longevity of electric drivetrains.
The study represents one of the most exhaustive deep dives into the UK’s vehicle reliability data to date. By examining tens of millions of individual test results, researchers were able to track the performance of various propulsion systems across their entire lifecycles. For vehicles with low mileage, the data showed almost no distinction in roadworthiness. At the lower end of the odometer, the difference in MOT failure rates between petrol and electric cars was recorded at a mere 0.3%. This suggests that for the average driver who changes their vehicle every few years, the choice of fuel type has little impact on the likelihood of encountering a major mechanical failure that would result in an MOT rejection.
However, the narrative shifts fundamentally as vehicles enter the middle and later stages of their operational lives. The research identified a critical "pivot point" at approximately 60,000 miles. Up to this threshold, both petrol and electric vehicles follow a similar trajectory of increasing wear and tear. But as the 60,000-mile barrier is crossed, the MOT failure rate for electric cars begins to level off, stabilizing at roughly 16%. In stark contrast, the failure rates for both petrol and diesel vehicles continue to climb steadily, reflecting the mounting mechanical stresses inherent in internal combustion engines as they accumulate high mileage.
Ben Nelmes, the Chief Executive of New AutoMotive, highlighted the importance of this specific distinction in the data. He noted that previous attempts to compare the reliability of electric and traditional cars have often been skewed by the relative youth of the electric fleet. Because mass-market electric vehicles have only been available in significant numbers for a decade, a simple comparison of all EVs on the road against all petrol cars on the road would naturally favor EVs, as they are, on average, much newer. Nelmes emphasized that the methodology of this study was designed specifically to bypass that bias by isolating mileage as the primary variable.
"The important thing about this study is that we can separate age from mileage," Nelmes explained. He pointed out that looking simply at headline MOT numbers provides a misleading picture of the current state of the UK’s automotive landscape. Because electric vehicles are often used in commercial fleets or by high-mileage commuters to take advantage of lower running costs, they often cover considerably more miles in a shorter period than their petrol counterparts. By comparing cars based on how much they have actually been driven, rather than just when they were first registered, the research provides a much clearer view of mechanical resilience.
