Key Points
- High mileage EVs recorded lower MOT failure rates than comparable petrol cars.
- Electric cars had around 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol vehicles.
- Battery health remains a separate consideration when buying a used EV.
Buying a used electric vehicle can feel like a gamble, particularly when the odometer starts climbing. Battery health, repair costs and long term durability are common concerns for drivers considering a secondhand EV. But new research from the UK suggests that high mileage electric cars may be more durable than many buyers expect, at least when it comes to passing roadworthiness tests.
An analysis of 47.4 million vehicle inspection tests found that older, high mileage battery electric vehicles were less likely to fail than petrol cars of a similar age and mileage. The findings challenge a long standing assumption in the used car market that more kilometres on the clock automatically mean a greater risk of mechanical problems.
The research was commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and conducted by transport research organisation New AutoMotive using official UK Ministry of Transport test records.
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High Mileage EVs Beat Petrol Cars
The study found that electric and petrol cars performed similarly at lower mileages. However, as vehicles accumulated more distance, the failure rate for EVs began to level off while petrol cars continued to record more roadworthiness failures.
Researchers found that the difference became particularly noticeable beyond approximately 60,000 miles, equivalent to around 96,600 kilometres.
The findings challenge the idea that a used EV with 100,000 kilometres or more on the odometer should automatically be considered a risky purchase.
The research also examined whether older electric cars were disappearing from the roads sooner than petrol vehicles. The results suggested that EVs were continuing to be driven well into old age.
Among 15 year old vehicles, 94.6% of electric cars returned for another MOT test within 30 months, compared with 88.1% of petrol cars.
This corresponds to an implied road exit rate of 5.4% for EVs and 11.9% for petrol vehicles. However, disappearing from the test records does not necessarily mean a vehicle has been scrapped. It could also have been exported or declared off the road.
The researchers also found that older EVs were not simply being kept as low mileage second cars. Electric vehicles recorded higher median annual mileage than petrol cars across every age group examined between four and 16 years.
At 12 years old, for example, electric cars covered a median of approximately 4,920 miles annually, compared with 4,410 miles for petrol vehicles.
The Numbers Behind the Findings
The study compared vehicles by both age and mileage, helping researchers avoid misleading conclusions that could arise from comparing a relatively young EV fleet with an older petrol car fleet.
The results showed a clear difference once vehicles passed higher mileage thresholds.
Key findings from the UK study:
- Between 20,000 and 40,000 miles: 12% of battery electric vehicles failed their MOT, compared with 11.7% of petrol cars.
- Between 90,000 and 120,000 miles: 16.5% of EVs failed, compared with 22.1% of petrol cars of the same age.
- Above 120,000 miles: 16% of electric cars failed, compared with 23.5% of petrol vehicles.
- Beyond approximately 60,000 miles: EV failure rates levelled off at around 16%, while petrol and diesel failure rates continued to rise.
The difference was especially significant for vehicles covering between 90,000 and 120,000 miles. Electric cars in this group were around 25% less likely to fail their MOT than comparable petrol models.
The pattern continued at even higher mileages, suggesting that an EV's roadworthiness does not necessarily deteriorate at the same rate as a conventional car's as the odometer climbs.
Researchers pointed to the relative mechanical simplicity of an electric drivetrain as one possible explanation. Battery electric cars do not have a conventional combustion engine, engine oil system or multi speed transmission in the same form as petrol vehicles.
However, the study does not establish that every EV will require fewer repairs or cost less to maintain. Its findings concern MOT failures, rather than all workshop visits, unexpected repairs or ownership expenses.
Where Used EVs Still Struggle
Electric cars did not outperform petrol vehicles in every category. The research identified tyres as a particular weakness, with EVs recording approximately 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol cars across the dataset.
Tyre condition deserves attention when buying a secondhand EV. Electric cars can place different demands on their tyres, and buyers should inspect tread depth, wear patterns and overall condition rather than assuming a vehicle is in good shape simply because it has passed a roadworthiness test.
The findings also offered a more nuanced picture of suspension durability.
Between 60,000 and 90,000 miles, electric cars recorded 4.7 suspension defects per 100 tests, compared with 6.1 for petrol cars. This means the study found no evidence that the additional weight often associated with EVs was translating into higher suspension defect rates in this comparison.
Brakes presented another interesting result.
Regenerative braking allows an EV to slow down while recovering energy for the battery, reducing how often its conventional friction brakes need to be used. The study found substantially fewer brake defects among high mileage EVs, but older electric cars with relatively low mileage showed increased friction brake defects.
Researchers attributed this pattern to corrosion that can develop when conventional brakes are used less frequently.
The study also found that hybrid cars performed strongly, recording lower MOT failure rates than petrol cars or battery electric vehicles in several categories. The findings therefore do not establish one type of powertrain as the most reliable choice in every situation.
Instead, they challenge a narrower assumption: that battery electric cars necessarily become less roadworthy as they accumulate more mileage.
Battery Health Remains Uncertain
There is an important limitation to the research. Passing an MOT does not tell buyers how much usable capacity an EV's battery has left.
The UK tests assess statutory roadworthiness, including components such as brakes, tyres, suspension, steering and lights. They do not measure battery state of health, degradation, remaining driving range or charging performance.
That distinction matters because battery condition can vary considerably between individual vehicles, even when they are the same model and have covered similar distances.
A used EV could pass its roadworthiness inspection while having a battery that holds less energy than it did when new. Conversely, a high mileage vehicle could still have a healthy battery. The MOT data alone cannot establish either outcome.
The BVRLA advises buyers to approach secondhand EVs with the same care they would apply to any used vehicle, checking its history, condition and tyres while also investigating battery health.
For prospective buyers, that means considering an independent battery health assessment where available, reviewing service and repair records, checking the remaining battery warranty and confirming that the vehicle's real world range meets their needs.
Mileage remains useful information, but it should not be the only measure of a used EV's condition.
What This Means for Australia
The findings could help address one of the concerns surrounding Australia's developing secondhand EV market: whether an electric car with substantial mileage is still a sensible purchase.
A larger pool of used EVs could give Australians more affordable ways to switch from petrol and diesel vehicles. Many electric cars entering the secondhand market overseas have previously been used in company or leasing fleets, and vehicles with higher odometer readings may offer buyers an opportunity to access models that would otherwise be outside their budget.
However, the research was based on UK roadworthiness records, not Australian vehicle inspections. Its results should therefore be treated as encouraging evidence rather than proof that Australian used EVs will have identical failure rates.
The practical lesson for local buyers is that high mileage alone should not automatically rule out a used electric car. Vehicle history, maintenance, tyre condition, brake condition and battery health all matter when assessing an individual vehicle.
Australia's used EV market would also benefit from clearer access to independent battery testing, helping buyers distinguish between a car that is simply well travelled and one whose battery has lost a significant amount of usable capacity.
Ultimately, this research provides a useful reason to look beyond the odometer when shopping for a secondhand EV. A high mileage electric car may still have plenty to offer, but buyers should assess the entire vehicle rather than relying on mileage or a roadworthiness result alone.
