Electric cars appear to become more dependable than petrol cars as mileage rises, based on 47.4 million UK MOT tests published on 2026-09-22.
MOT checks cover brakes, suspension, tyres, exhaust and emissions. At lower mileages, the difference between the two powertrains was small. EVs showed slightly more early issues, partly because owners drove them more each year.
The gap widened after 40,000 miles. Among cars covering 90,000 to 120,000 miles, EVs had a 16.5% failure rate, against 22.1% for petrol cars. Above 120,000 miles, the figures were 16% and 23.5%, respectively.
What buyers should know
Electric versions of shared models generally matched or beat their petrol equivalents, except for the Volkswagen Golf. EVs had fewer suspension and brake faults, with regenerative braking reducing conventional brake use. Cars more than 10 years old can develop brake corrosion if those brakes are rarely used.
Tyre wear was higher on heavier converted EVs. The dedicated BMW i3 performed better in this area. Electric light commercial models such as the Nissan NV200 also generally outperformed diesel versions.
The MOT data did not measure battery health. Separate research found batteries can retain about 90% capacity after 90,000 miles. For Nepal buyers, the findings support checking tyres, brakes and battery condition before buying a used EV.
Writes on vehicle pricing, taxation and the Nepali auto market from ongoing tracking of distributor price lists. Editorial policy.
