Electric Cars Now Match Petrol and Diesel Vehicles in Longevity, Study Finds

Research based on UK roadworthiness data reveals electric cars achieve an average lifespan of 18.4 years, driven by rapid technological improvements.

A study analyzing 300 million UK MOT test records found that electric vehicles (EVs) now last 18.4 years on average, comparable to petrol cars (18.7 years) and exceeding diesel vehicles (16.8 years).
The reliability of electric cars has improved significantly, with failure rates decreasing faster than those of petrol and diesel vehicles due to advancements in battery technology.
Electric vehicles are driven more intensively on average than petrol cars, covering 124,000 miles over their lifespan compared to 187,000 miles for petrol and 257,000 miles for diesel vehicles.
Tesla emerged as the top-performing brand for electric vehicle longevity, while Audi and Skoda led in petrol and diesel categories respectively.
The findings underline the environmental benefits of EVs, as their longer lifespan helps offset higher production emissions, particularly as renewable energy adoption grows.