But overall it says:

'Since 2000, one-fifth of EVs have failed their MOTs, compared to an average failure rate of 29 per cent for petrol cars.'

So get people looking after their tyres more and all good.

Am I reading this article right? "40% more likely for an EV to fail on tyres". Okay then it says one fifth of EVs( that's 20%) compared to 29% of fossil cars.

So 20% is 40% greater than 29%...really? Should I stop drinking or what?

It's quite interesting but not, of course, for the reason that GB News (!) would have you believe.

The information is contained in the IMI's response to a consultation on extending the period to the first MOT from 3 years to 4 years. The point that they are trying to make is that this may not be wise because they are increasingly seeing 3 year old EVs with tyres worn beyond the legal limit, so there is a risk that people will allow this to continue and be in danger in the fourth year of ownership.

They do also go on to say that this suggests that people need to be better educated about the importance of frequent basic safety checks before any serious consideration is given to extending the MOT exemption.

Any car where there is more work for the tyres to do, be it torque or driving style will wear faster. Tyre compund also makes a difference.

Is structural corrosion any more likely after 4 years than three ?

EVs on three year PCPs, owners reluctant to spend £200+ on new tyres for a vehicle they are handing back so let the MOT decide,

The moral of this is to check any used EV and see if it has ditchfinders.

I have been advocating this for a number of years, when I used to be gas qualified we had to have a refresher every five years, I assume if you have a firearms certificate, it has to be regularly checked, yet, we can drive around in potentially lethal weapons. with no formal re training since the day the test was passed, perhaps a traffic light based system, where green Is ok, amber needs a few things looking at, and red, .well, I’m sure we’ve all seen drivers who fall into this category..

While EVs are generally a bit heavier than the petrol or diesel equivalents, I'd assume they'd be fitted with tyres that cope with the heavier weight.

The high torque of many EVs could theoretically cause more rapid tyre wear but most drivers wouldn't be using all the available torque in normal driving, not least because it would drain the battery rather quickly.

Most EVs have regenerative braking, which significantly reduces the need to use the brakes, so there'd be less wear from braking than on an i.c. car.

Anything from GB news caters for the reactionary right who are against anything 'eco'.

Edited by Sofa Spud on 04/08/2023 at 11:51

It may be nothing to do with the weight or acceleration of an EV.

I suspect given their age all EVs are fitted with tyre pressure monitoring systems whereas most older ICE are not.

This means that routine checks of tyre pressure are non-existent on newer cars (there is no need) and excessive tyre wear never identified until MoT advisory or failure.

I have to confess to a similar omission - rear tyres very worn (advisory) and now changed.