High-mileage EVs outperform petrol in MOTs
High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds
Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Warm-up
- What do you check first when buying a used car?
- Do you trust high-mileage cars? Why or why not?
- What costs worry you most with a used car?
Vocabulary
- reliable
- able to be trusted to work well over time
- mileage
- the number of miles a vehicle has driven
- fail
- to not pass a test or standard
- consultancy
- a company that gives expert advice for a fee
- leasing
- using something for a set time by paying regular fees
- tyre
- the rubber cover around a wheel
- corrosion
- slow damage caused by rust or a chemical reaction
- roadworthiness
- being safe and legal to drive on public roads
Reading
High-mileage electric cars appear more reliable than petrol ones, a UK study says. New AutoMotive, a consultancy, analysed 47.4m MOT tests for the BVRLA. Between 90,000 and 120,000 miles, 16.5% of EVs failed, compared with 22.1% of petrol cars. Beyond 120,000 miles, 16% of EVs failed versus 23.5% of petrol. At lower mileage, the gap was small.
Many used EVs come from company and leasing fleets, so they often have high mileage. BVRLA chief Toby Poston said mileage alone should not put buyers off. Focusing only on mileage could make buyers pass over a good EV.
The study also found weak spots for EVs, especially tyres. EVs recorded nearly twice as many tyre defects. Some older, low-mileage EVs had more friction-brake issues, likely from corrosion. MOTs check roadworthiness — brakes, tyres, suspension, steering and lights — but not battery health. Buyers should review a car's history, condition, tyres and battery health.
Comprehension
- Who carried out the study and for which organisation?
- What were the EV and petrol failure rates at 90,000–120,000 miles?
- What happened to failure rates beyond 120,000 miles?
- In which areas did EVs perform worse than petrol cars?
- What do MOT tests check, and what do they not measure?
Grammar focus
Second conditional
Use If + past simple ... would + base verb to talk about unreal or unlikely present/future situations. The if-clause uses a past form and the result clause uses would + verb. (Examples constructed.)
- If buyers judged only mileage, they would miss good EVs.
- If a leasing firm offered more checks, customers would feel safer.
Grammar exercise
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
- If drivers (prefer) ___ low running costs, they would choose EVs.
- If tyres (wear) ___ faster on EVs, owners would replace them.
- If fleets (offer) ___ more used EVs, prices would fall.
- If mechanics (find) ___ fewer engine faults, petrol cars would sell less.
- If buyers (want) ___ longer warranties, dealers would include them.
Discussion
- Would you consider a high-mileage EV? Why or why not?
- What used-car checks are most important to you?
- Should sellers show battery health on used EVs?
- How could your city support reliable used EVs?
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