BVRLA: high-mileage EVs fail the MOT less than petrol cars

On 22 September 2026 the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) published an analysis of 47.4 million MOT tests, according to bvrla.co.uk. The independent transport research organisation New AutoMotive worked from official DVSA records and found that high-mileage battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fail the MOT less often than petrol equivalents. bvrla.co.uk

Failure rates by mileage

Once vehicle age and mileage are both taken into account, the difference at low mileage is small. Between 20,000 and 40,000 miles, 12.0% of BEVs failed the MOT compared with 11.7% of petrol cars.

From around 60,000 miles the pattern changes. The EV failure rate levels off at approximately 16%, while petrol and diesel failure rates continue to climb. Among cars aged three to eight with 90,000 to 120,000 miles, 16.5% of EVs failed versus 22.1% of petrol cars, which makes EVs around 25% less likely to fail. Above 120,000 miles the figures were 16.0% for EVs and 23.5% for petrol.

The researchers also checked whether vehicles came back for another MOT within 30 months. At age 15, 94.6% of EVs returned compared with 88.1% of petrol cars, an implied road-exit rate of 5.4% against 11.9%. Road exit can include scrapping, export or SORN declaration, so the study does not claim that every missing vehicle was scrapped. bvrla.co.uk EVs also had a higher median annual mileage than petrol cars at every age from four to 16 years. At age 12 it was about 4,920 miles a year for EVs and 4,410 for petrol cars.

Tyres, brakes and limits of the data

EVs recorded approximately 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol cars. According to the analysis, the problem was most pronounced among some earlier EVs adapted from combustion-engine platforms. There was no equivalent penalty for suspension: between 60,000 and 90,000 miles, EVs had 4.7 suspension defects per 100 tests against 6.1 for petrol cars.

High-mileage EVs had substantially fewer brake defects. Older, low-mileage EVs showed more friction-brake defects, which the researchers attribute to corrosion from less frequent use of the physical brakes. Hybrids performed strongly and in several categories had lower failure rates than both petrol cars and BEVs. The authors say the study does not set out to establish one powertrain as universally more reliable.

The study does not measure battery health or remaining capacity. The MOT covers statutory roadworthiness, including brakes, tyres, suspension, steering and lights, but not battery state of health, electrochemical degradation or charging performance. bvrla.co.uk

BVRLA study of 47.4 million MOT tests: EVs above 120,000 miles fail less often than petrol cars

Failure rates by mileage

Tyres, brakes and limits of the data

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