The 60,000-mile myth: why high-mileage EVs are proving tougher than petrol

For decades, the rule of thumb for used cars has been simple: once the clock passes 60,000 miles, things start to go wrong. New research suggests electric cars didn't get the memo.

A study of 47.4 million MOT tests, commissioned by the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and carried out by independent research group New AutoMotive, has found that high-mileage EVs are significantly less likely to fail their MOT than petrol cars of the same age and mileage.

The more miles, the bigger the gap

At lower mileages there's very little in it. Between 20,000 and 40,000 miles, 12.0% of electric cars failed their MOT compared with 11.7% of petrol cars.

Things get interesting from around 60,000 miles. Petrol and diesel failure rates keep climbing as the miles stack up, but EV failure rates level off at roughly 16%.

That means:

• Between 90,000 and 120,000 miles, 16.5% of EVs failed compared with 22.1% of petrol cars, making EVs around 25% less likely to fail.

• Above 120,000 miles, the gap widens again, with 16.0% of EVs failing compared with 23.5% of petrol cars.

The researchers put this down to the mechanical simplicity of an electric drivetrain. Fewer moving parts means fewer things to wear out, and that advantage grows the longer a car is on the road.

Older EVs are staying on the road, and still being driven

The study also looked at how many cars come back for another MOT. At 15 years old, 94.6% of electric cars returned compared with 88.1% of petrol cars.

And it's not because older EVs are sitting on driveways as occasional second cars. At every age between four and 16 years, electric cars recorded higher median annual mileage than their petrol equivalents.

Not perfect, but not the weak spots you'd expect

The research is honest about where EVs fall short. Electric cars recorded around 1.8 times as many tyre defects as petrol cars, although this was most noticeable in some earlier EVs built on platforms originally designed for combustion engines.

What it didn't find was the suspension problem many people assume comes with heavier electric cars. Between 60,000 and 90,000 miles, EVs actually recorded fewer suspension defects than petrol cars.

Brakes are a mixed picture. High-mileage EVs had far fewer brake defects thanks to regenerative braking, but some older, low-mileage EVs showed more corrosion on their friction brakes simply because they weren't used as often.

Battery health still matters

One thing an MOT doesn't check is the battery. The test covers roadworthiness, such as brakes, tyres, steering, suspension and lights, but not battery condition or charging performance. As BVRLA chief executive Toby Poston put it, this "isn't an argument for buying a used EV without doing your homework."

What this means for used EVs through salary sacrifice

Many of the EVs now entering the used market spent their first years on company and leasing fleets, so they often come with higher mileage and a full service history. This research shows that mileage on its own is no reason to rule a car out.

That's good news if you're looking at a used EV through a FleetEV salary sacrifice scheme. You get the same benefits as a new car, with a fixed monthly cost taken from your gross salary before tax and National Insurance, plus insurance, maintenance and servicing included. Choosing used can bring your monthly cost down even further, and now there's hard data to show a higher-mileage EV can still have plenty of life left in it.

Thinking about a used EV?

Explore new and used cars at salsac.app.fleetev.com, call us on 0333 016 9630 or email [email protected].