High-Mileage EVs Pass MOT Tests More Often Than Petrol Cars
A study of 47.4 million MOT tests finds electric vehicles with 90,000–120,000 miles fail inspections 25% less often than comparable petrol models.
Electric vehicles with high odometer readings outperform their petrol counterparts on reliability, according to a large-scale analysis of British roadworthiness tests. The study, which examined 47.4 million MOT tests, concluded that EVs driven between 90,000 and 120,000 miles are roughly 25% less likely to fail the annual inspection than petrol vehicles of equivalent age and mileage.
The data puts the failure rate for high-mileage electric cars at 16.5%, compared with 22.1% for petrol models in the same usage bracket — a gap that carries practical implications for used-car buyers weighing long-term ownership costs and dependability.
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The findings challenge a persistent perception among some consumers that battery-powered vehicles become less dependable as they accumulate miles. Instead, the study suggests that EVs may sustain mechanical integrity at higher mileage more effectively than combustion-engine alternatives, a factor that could reshape secondhand market valuations.
For motorists shopping in the used-car segment, the results offer a data-driven case for considering older, higher-mileage electric models that might otherwise be passed over in favor of lower-mileage petrol options. Reliability at the high-mileage threshold covered by the study is among the most consequential factors in total cost of vehicle ownership.
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