Electric vehicles show higher long-term reliability than gas cars

A study commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and conducted by New AutoMotive suggests that electric vehicles (EVs) may offer superior reliability compared to internal combustion engine vehicles as mileage increases.

Analyzing 47.4 million MOT test records, the research indicates that while failure rates are similar at lower mileages, a divergence occurs after approximately 60,000 kilometers (roughly 37,000 miles). At this threshold, the failure rate for EVs tends to stabilize at around 16%, whereas the failure rates for gasoline and diesel vehicles continue to rise alongside increased mileage.

For vehicles with higher mileage, such as those between 90,000 and 120,000 miles, the EV failure rate was approximately 16.5%, compared to 22.1% for gasoline models. This represents a failure rate reduction of about 25% for electric vehicles. The findings suggest that the reliability advantage of used EVs grows as the vehicles accumulate more distance, potentially addressing consumer concerns regarding long-term maintenance costs in the pre-owned market.