High-mileage EVs are less likely to fail their MOT than petrol cars, BVRLA research finds
Key points
- Past 60,000 miles, EVs hold steady. EV MOT failure rates level off at about 16%, while petrol and diesel rates keep climbing, reaching 23.5% for petrol at 120,000+ miles (cars aged three to eight years).
- At 90,000–120,000 miles, 16.5% of EVs failed their MOT, compared with 22.1% of petrol cars and 21.2% of diesels.
- At lower mileages, it's a draw. Once age and mileage are matched, EVs and petrol cars fail at near-identical rates up to 40,000 miles (0.3–0.7 percentage points apart).
- Tyres are the weak spot. EVs recorded about 1.8 times the tyre defects of petrol cars, and older, low-mileage EVs showed more brake corrosion from under-use.
- Heavy batteries don't wreck suspension, but battery health wasn't tested. EV suspension defect rates were at or below petrol and diesel in every mileage band. The MOT doesn't check battery health, so the study says nothing about it.
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High-mileage electric cars are less likely to fail an MOT than equivalent petrol cars, according to research commissioned by the BVRLA and carried out by independent transport research organisation New AutoMotive - the study analysed 47.4 million MOT tests (Source: BVRLA).
What the BVRLA research found
Among cars aged three to eight years, 16.5% of EVs with 90,000–120,000 miles failed their MOT, compared with 22.1% of petrol cars and 21.2% of diesels (Source: BVRLA / New AutoMotive, September 2026).
The 60,000-mile plateau
At lower mileages there's little in it. Once age and mileage are matched, EVs fail at near-identical rates to petrol cars up to 40,000 miles, trailing by 0.7 percentage points in the lowest band and 0.3 in the next.
From around 60,000 miles, EV failure rates level off at about 16%, while petrol and diesel rates keep climbing. At 120,000+ miles the gap is 7.5 percentage points: 16.0% for EVs against 23.5% for petrol. The report calls the gap at 90,000–120,000 miles a “25% relative durability advantage” for EVs.
MOT Failure Rate
MOT failure rate by mileage band, cars aged three to eight years (Source: BVRLA / New AutoMotive, September 2026, section 1.3)
Why EVs looked worse in earlier comparisons
Simple comparisons of MOT data mislead in both directions, because Britain's electric fleet is younger and does more miles than its petrol fleet.
On raw figures, EVs look far better: 13.5% failed, against 21.4% of petrol cars and 24.1% of diesels. But the average EV at its MOT was 4.6 years old, compared with 10.4 years for petrol.
Match cars by age alone and the picture flips, with EVs failing 1.6 to 2.3 percentage points more often than petrol cars. That's because EVs do more miles: at their first MOT, the median EV had covered 27,072 miles against 20,499 for petrol, 32.1% more.
The report links this to EVs' heavy use in leasing, company-car fleets and private hire in their first three years. Matching age and mileage together gives the fair comparison.
Where EVs fall short: tyres and brakes
Tyres are the one area where EVs clearly trail: they recorded about 1.8 times the tyre defects of petrol cars.
The report puts this down to battery weight and instant torque. It's worst on EVs converted from petrol or diesel platforms, such as the Volkswagen e-Golf, Hyundai Kona Electric and Nissan e-NV200, and much milder on purpose-built EVs such as the BMW i3, Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Ioniq Electric.
Brakes are mixed. Thanks to regenerative braking, EVs at 90,000+ miles recorded 2.2 brake defects per 100 tests, against 6.5 for petrol. But on older, low-mileage EVs, under-used brakes corrode, and by age 10 their brake defect rates overtake petrol.
All service and maintenance items (tyres included) are covered in loveelectric's all-in-one monthly lease package for EVs, so even when they wear, they'll be replaced.
Do older EVs stay on the road?
At age 15, 94.6% of electric cars came back for another MOT within 30 months, compared with 88.1% of petrol cars. That comes with a caveat: the figure is based on 2016–2023 cohorts, and the oldest EVs in the data are early models such as the original Nissan Leaf, Peugeot iOn and Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
The report also compared nine model families sold with both electric and non-electric drivetrains. The electric version won five, tied three and lost one: the e-Golf, on tyre wear. Above 80,000 miles, 13.0% of Hyundai Kona Electrics failed their MOT, against 17.8% of petrol Konas.
What this means if you're buying a used electric car
On this evidence, a higher-mileage used EV isn't a red flag in itself.
If your employer offers salary sacrifice, reloved® is loveelectric's used-EV marketplace. Every reloved® car is inspected and the monthly price includes fully comprehensive insurance*, servicing and maintenance, the MOT, tyre replacement for wear and tear, and breakdown cover. Our guide to used EV salary sacrifice explains more.
*We do not provide or arrange insurance. Insurance cover is offered directly by our insurance partner. Any quotes, applications or policies are handled by the insurer, and we do not advise on or arrange insurance. All insurance enquiries and claims must be directed to the insurer.
FAQs
Q: Do electric cars fail their MOT more than petrol cars?
A: Not once age and mileage are matched. Up to 40,000 miles the rates are near-identical, and past 60,000 miles EVs fail less often: 16.5% against 22.1% for petrol at 90,000–120,000 miles, among cars aged three to eight years.
Q: Do electric cars wear out tyres faster?
A: EVs recorded about 1.8 times the tyre defects of petrol cars at MOT, most of all on EVs converted from petrol or diesel platforms.
Q: Does an MOT check an electric car's battery?
A: No. The MOT tests roadworthiness, including brakes, suspension, tyres and lights, but not battery state of health.
Q: Can I get a used electric car through salary sacrifice?
A: Yes, your company just needs to sign up. See if your company is eligible here.
