High-mileage EVs more reliable than petrol cars

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes · Last updated: 23 September 2026

An analysis of 47.4m MOT tests carried out for the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and produced by the consultancy New AutoMotive shows that electric vehicles with high mileages are not necessarily worn out. Between 90,000 and 120,000 miles, EVs failed MOTs at 16.5% compared with 22.1% for petrol models, a difference the study describes as about 25% lower failure risk for EVs. Beyond 120,000 miles the failure rates were 16.0% for EVs and 23.5% for petrol cars. The research highlights mechanical advantages in EV drivetrains alongside specific weak points buyers should check.

"A well-maintained, higher-mileage electric car can be an extremely durable used vehicle."

Toby Poston, BVRLA chief executive

How the MOT data points to EV durability

New AutoMotive analysed 47.4m MOT records to compare failure rates by fuel type and mileage bands. The clearest gap appears in the 90,000–120,000 mile bracket, where EVs failed at 16.5% and petrol cars at 22.1%, a difference that the study summarises as roughly a 25% lower failure probability for EVs. That gap increases slightly beyond 120,000 miles, where failure rates are 16.0% for EVs and 23.5% for petrol models.

The result supports the view advanced by New AutoMotive’s chief executive, Ben Nelmes, that high mileage “isn’t a proxy for poor condition in the way buyers have traditionally assumed.” The consultancy attributes the pattern to the mechanical simplicity of electric drivetrains, which have fewer moving parts than combustion engines and gearboxes and therefore fewer wear points that MOT inspectors measure.

Where EVs underperform on MOT items

The study also flags specific failure modes where EVs fare worse. MOT inspectors record defects across brakes, tyres, suspension, steering and lights; on tyres EVs showed nearly twice as many tyre defects as petrol cars. Older, low-mileage EVs additionally recorded increased friction‑brake defects, which the researchers link to corrosion when friction brakes are used less frequently on regenerative‑braking‑led drives.

Those fault types matter because they are actionable at modest cost: tyres and brakes are service items a buyer or dealer can assess and replace. The study emphasises that MOT checks do not cover battery health, degradation or charging performance, so tyre and brake figures must be considered alongside battery condition when evaluating a used EV.

What prospective buyers should inspect

The researchers and the BVRLA caution buyers to treat high mileage as one factor, not a disqualifier. The BVRLA chief executive, Toby Poston, advised that "A well-maintained, higher-mileage electric car can be an extremely durable used vehicle." Buyers should therefore check MOT history, tyre condition, brake condition and a battery health report where available.

Because MOTs do not test batteries, a simple vehicle history check and an on‑site battery state‑of‑health readout from the dealer or a charging session will often be necessary. Where no battery data exist, the MOT pass rates reported here do not by themselves guarantee range or charging performance, so buyers should budget for or verify battery condition as part of any purchase decision.

Implications for the secondhand market

The BVRLA frames the findings as relevant to affordability and access: many higher‑mileage EVs enter the used market after fleet or lease service, so demonstrating durability could broaden choice for price‑sensitive buyers. Toby Poston says changing perception around mileage will be “critical to creating a healthy and affordable secondhand EV market.”

For dealers and buyers this shifts attention from mileage alone to documented maintenance and component condition. It also points to potential delta costs: tyres and corrosion‑linked brake work may be more common on EVs, even while major mechanical failures tied to engines and gearboxes appear less frequent in the MOT record.

How this could play out for buyers and the market

The bottom line

The New AutoMotive analysis for the BVRLA challenges the assumption that high mileage alone makes an EV a risky used purchase. The MOT record shows lower mechanical failure rates for EVs in the 90,000–120,000 and 120,000+ mile bands, but it also exposes concentrated faults—tyres and some brake issues—that buyers must inspect. Because MOTs do not assess battery health, a complete purchase decision should combine the statistics here with battery state‑of‑health information and service history to judge total value and likely maintenance costs.

What to watch

• watch for industry or dealer schemes that publish battery state‑of‑health reports alongside MOT history; no date has been set.
• watch for fleet disposal patterns as leased EVs reach 80,000–100,000 miles and enter the used market; no date has been set.

This article is information, not financial advice. Anyone acting on it should do their own checks.