A multinational team of researchers used nearly 300 million UK Ministry of Transport (MOT) test records charting the ‘health’ of every vehicle on Britain’s roads between 2005 and 2022 to estimate vehicle longevity and provide a comprehensive analysis of survival rates for different powertrains.
The team found that early Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) were less reliable than internal combustion engine vehicles but rapid advances in technology have enabled newer BEVs to achieve comparable lifespans.
Researchers found that BEVs demonstrated the most rapid improvement in reliability, with a 12 per cent lower likelihood of failure for each successive year of production, compared to 6.7 per cent for petrol and 1.9 per cent for diesel vehicles.
Publishing their findings today (January 24, 2025) in Nature Energy, researchers from Birmingham University, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of California San Diego, and the University of Bern, Switzerland, reveal that on average, BEVs now have a lifespan of 18.4 years and can travel up to 124,000 miles, which they said surpasses petrol cars in mileage.
They also identify top-performing brands in terms of vehicle longevity, with Tesla leading BEVs. For petrol and diesel vehicles, Audi and Skoda are the best performers, respectively.
In a statement, co-author Dr Viet Nguyen-Tien, from the LSE, said: “Our findings provide critical insights into the lifespan and environmental impact of electric vehicles. No longer just a niche option, BEVs are a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles - a significant step towards achieving a net-zero carbon future.”
Co-author Robert Elliott, Professor of Economics at Birmingham University, said: "BEVs offer significant environmental benefits, especially as Europe switches to a more renewable energy mix. Despite higher initial emissions from production, 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, whilst policymakers can use our insights to shape regulations and incentives that promote the adoption of durable and environmentally friendly vehicles and plan ahead their end-of-life treatment."
Today’s findings follow a study by scientists working in the SLAC-Stanford Battery Center that found batteries in BEVs - subject to the normal use of real-world drivers such as heavy traffic, motorway journeys, short trips, and mostly being parked – could last about a third longer than researchers have generally forecast.
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