Study: Your New EV Will Probably Outlast A Comparable ICE Car

Electric vehicles have made leaps and bounds in terms of reliability over the past two decades, with modern examples like the Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz boasting a projected 18-year lifespan – the same as an internal combustion vehicle. Collaborative researchers the University of Birmingham, London School of Economics, University of California San Diego, and University of Bern arrived at that conclusion after analyzing 18 years of United Kingdom MOT tests, and the 300 million individual records suggested that EVs are only going to get more reliable in the future.

EVs Are Getting More Reliable Year Over Year

As reported by Auto Express, the study suggested that early EVs were indeed more prone to “technological failure” than their internal combustion equivalents, but that the likelihood of mechanical breakdown decreased by an average of 12 percent each year between 2005 and 2022. That compares very favorably to gasoline-powered cars, which improved by around 7 percent, and diesels, which improved about 2 percent each year. It also helps explain why current EV owners are overwhelmingly satisfied with their decisions, with more than 92 percent saying they’ll never go back to ICE.

The researchers suggested that today, an EV will probably last 18.4 years and up to 124,000 miles before needing major mechanical reconditioning, about the same time and even more mileage than a gas-powered equivalent offering. And if EVs continue their steeper upward trend of dependability, that delta may widen even further. It’s important to note that the research was confined to UK MOT tests, which provide decent real-world usability data but only for a very small portion of the EV-buying population. A fuller study including American, European, and Chinese registrations would no doubt help the study feel more relevant to everyone.

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Dependable New Cars Become Dependable Used Cars

Regardless, the longevity study has to be good news for today’s motorists. In the US at least, the average fleet age of all cars on the road hit a new record in 2024, at 12.6 years old. This suggests that not only are Americans keeping their cars for longer, more people are shopping used. And given the skyrocketing cost of new cars – partially fueled by EVs being more expensive than their ICE counterparts – it’s nice to know that you can save a few bucks on a pre-owned Ford Mustang Mach-E without losing big on reliability. And if you’re shopping for a used EV, it’s best to start with the most dependable models as you begin your hunt.

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Speaking of dependability, the study found that the Tesla Model 3 was the most reliable electric vehicle according to the MOT data. The automaker has had some trouble with recalls lately, although to be fair, many of them involved over-the-air solutions to software problems, rather than catastrophic mechanical failures. Among the longest-lasting internal combustion vehicles in the study, Skoda and Audi reigned supreme.

Source: Auto Express