A study by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and New AutoMotive analyzed 47.4 million MOT tests to compare the reliability of used electric and petrol vehicles. The data indicates that while failure rates are similar at low mileage, electric cars demonstrate greater durability as mileage increases.
For vehicles with 20,000 to 40,000 miles, the failure rate is 12% for EVs and 11.7% for petrol cars. At 90,000 to 120,000 miles, 16.5% of EVs failed compared to 22.1% of petrol vehicles. Above 120,000 miles, the failure rate for EVs remains at 16%, while for petrol cars it reaches 23.5%.
The study also found that 94.6% of EVs remain on the road at 15 years of age, compared to 88.1% of petrol cars. Researchers attribute this to the mechanical simplicity of electric drivetrains, though they note that buyers should still monitor tire condition and potential brake corrosion in low-mileage electric models.
In the US market, where 75% of drivers purchase pre-owned vehicles, Harvard economists project that EVs will account for 38% of new car sales by 2030. This forecast follows an estimated 8% penetration in 2025, with market growth supported by a surge in off-lease inventory and rising fuel costs.
