Electric vehicles now last as long as petrol and diesel rivals

Rapid advances in technology are making battery electric vehicles more reliable and durable

An electric lorry charges at a charging station in Dusseldorf, Germany. Getty Images

Battery-powered vehicles have become more reliable and enduring as the competition with traditional petrol and diesel cars intensifies, a new study revealed.

Battery electric vehicles (BEV) can now match the lifespans of traditional cars and vans with petrol and diesel engines – a milestone in the race towards sustainable transport.

BEVs now have a lifespan of 18.4 years and can travel up to 199,892km, beating traditional petrol cars in mileage, the University of Birmingham study found.

Petrol vehicles can travel to 186,764km and 18.7 years and for diesel vehicles the figure was 257,132km and 16.8 years, the study published in Nature Energy showed.

Researchers also found BEVs are rapidly improving their 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.

They also identify top-performing brands in terms of vehicle longevity. Tesla and Hyundai led among BEVs. For petrol vehicles, it was Audi and Volvo and for diesel, Audi and Skoda were the best performers.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of California San Diego, and University of Bern, Switzerland carried out the research.

Co-author Robert Elliott, professor of economics at University of Birmingham, 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.”

Co-author Dr Viet Nguyen-Tien, from LSE, added: “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.”

Researchers used nearly 300 million UK Ministry of Transport (MOT) test records to chart the ‘health’ of every vehicle on the UK’s roads between 2005 and 2022 to estimate vehicle longevity and provide a comprehensive analysis of survival rates for different power trains.

The team found that, although early BEVs were less reliable than internal combustion engine vehicles, rapid advances in technology have enabled newer BEVs to achieve comparable lifespans, even under more intensive use.