An analysis of 47.4 million MOT tests conducted by New AutoMotive for the BVRLA reveals that electric vehicles (EVs) demonstrate superior durability compared to petrol and diesel counterparts at high mileages. While failure rates are comparable at lower distances, the data shows a significant divergence once vehicles pass the 60 ,000-mile mark.
The 60,000-mile durability shift
At lower mileages, the performance gap between electric and combustion engines is negligible. Between 20,000 and 40,000 miles, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) recorded a failure rate of 12%, slightly higher than the 11.7% seen in petrol cars. However, as the New AutoMotive report highlights, this trend reverses as mileage accumulates.
The study, commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), analyzed official DVSA records to track how electric cars age alongside traditional engines. Once vehicles cross the 60,000-mile threshold, the MOT failure rate for electric cars stabilizes at approximately 16%, whereas the failure rates for petrol and diesel vehicles continue to climb steadily.
A 25% advantage for EVs between 90,000 and 120,000 miles
The durability gap becomes even more pronounced as vehicles reach higher mileage brackets. For cars aged between three and eight years with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the odometer, electric vehicles fail at a rate of 16.5%. In comparison, petrol cars fail at 22.1% and diesel cars at 21.2%. This represents a 25% relative durability advantage for electric powertrains.
Toby Poston, chief executive of the BVRLA, suggested that this data should change how consumers view high-mileage EVs. He noted that many electric vehicles entering the used market were previously part of company or leasing fleets and have already covered significant distances. According to the data, the advantage persists even at extreme ranges:
- 90,000 to 120,000 miles: EVs show a 25% relative durability advantage over petrol.
- Over 120,000 miles: The gap widens to 7.5 percentage points, with EVs failing at 16% compared to 23.5% for petrol.
Why 94.6% of 15-year-old electric cars stay on the road
Electric vehicles appear to stay in actiive circulation significantly longer than their internal combustion counterparts. The study utilized longitudinal cohort tracking to determine how many vehicles returned for subsequent MOT tests within 30 months. At the 15-year age mark , 94.6% of electric cars returned for testing, compared to only 88.1% of petrol cars.
This longevity is not merely a result of EVs being used as low-mileage second cars. The research found that electric vehicles actually recorded higher median annual mileage than petrol cars at every age interval examined between four and 16 years. This suggests that the "road-exit rate"—which includes scrapping or exporting vehicles—is much lower for electric fleets than for combustion vehicles.
The blind spot in current DVSA battery testing
Despite the positive findings regarding mechanical roadworthiness, a significant question remains regarding the long-term health of the most expensive component in an EV. experts noted that current MOT tests do not measure battery health or remaining capacity, leaving a critical information gap for buyers. This leaves a degree of uncertainty regarding whether an EV's "durability" is purely mechanical or if it is limited by the battery's chemical lifespan.
Furthermore, while the study tracks "road exit" rates, it remains unverified whether vehicles disappearing from the dataset are being scrapped , exported, or simply declared Statutory Off-Road (SORN). Until testing protocols evolve to include battery diagnostics, the true end-of-life cycle for high-mileage electric vehicles remains partially obscured.
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