Electric cars ‘now last as long as petrol and diesel’

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Tue, 28 Jan 2025

Analysis by university researchers has revealed electric cars now match the lifespans of petrol and diesel cars – and are more reliable.

Using nearly 300 million MoT test records between 2005 and 2022, the researchers charted the ‘health’ of every vehicle on UK roads.

They found that while early EVs couldn't match the integrity of ICE cars, advances in technology mean newer electric cars have comparable lifespans.

This remains the case even under intensive use.

Better reliability is another attribute of newer EVs. Indeed, electric cars have shown the most rapid rate of improvement in reliability of any car type. They boast a 12% lower likelihood of failure for each successive year of production.

This compares to 6.7% for petrol cars and just 1.9% for diesel.

On average, an electric car now has a lifespan of 18.4 years, and can travel up to 124,000 miles. This actually surpasses petrol cars in terms of mileage.

Tesla leads the way for electric car longevity, the research reveals – while Audi and Skoda are the best performers for petrol and diesel.

"No longer just a niche option, BEVs are a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles," says report co-author Dr Viet Nguyen-Tien from the London School of Economics.

"Despite higher initial emissions from production," adds fellow co-author Robert Elliott from the University of Birmingham, "a long-lasting electric vehicle can quickly offset its carbon footprint, contributing to the fight against climate change – making them a more sustainable long-term option. Our findings offer consumers reliable data to make informed decisions about their vehicle purchases."

He added that policymakers should also take note of the research to shape regulations and incentives that promote the adoption of durable and environmentally-friendly vehicles and plan ahead their end-of-life treatment.

Ask HJ

Wouldn't it make sense for EVs to have longer range rather than more power?

As range anxiety remains a concern, why do manufacturers make EVs so powerful? Surely less powerful motors would extend range for the same battery size?

In the same way that a petrol or diesel engine will consume more fuel the harder it is driven, an electric vehicle will consume more electrical energy the harder it is driven, so in a like-for-like situation where two vehicles share the same weight, battery size and aerodynamics, a more powerful motor would potentially consume a fraction more energy than a smaller one, but offer a considerably less enjoyable driving experience. A larger electric motor is also better at regeneration, so any savings could easily be wiped out by a reduction in regeneration efficiency. Most EV manufacturers provide a choice of power outputs and battery sizes to give customers the balance of performance and range they are looking for, just as with petrol and diesel engines.

Answered by David Ross

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