New electric vehicles have been found to outlast petrol and diesel cars in both longevity and mile range, a shocking report has revealed.
It comes after analysis by researchers based in the UK found that battery electric vehicles have a greater lifespan than petrol and diesel cars.
The researchers investigated nearly 300 million UK MOT test records between 2005 and 2022 to uncover which vehicle type had stronger endurance.
Researchers, from the University of Birmingham, LSE, the University of California San Diego, and the University of Bern, discovered that older versions of EVs were less reliable than their petrol and diesel counterparts, but the opposite is found when comparing newer electric cars.
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Electric cars have been recorded as having an average lifespan of 18 years
PA
According to the report, EVs fitted with the latest technological advances could have an average lifespan of 18.4 years with the ability to travel more than124,000 miles, surpassing traditional petrol cars.
The report detailed: “Electric vehicles are increasingly being adopted in Great Britain and other parts of the world, driven by the perception that they offer a cost-effective alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles while reducing emissions.
“However, a key element that underpins this perception is the longevity of electric vehicles, which remains relatively under-researched.
“Here we show that although early battery electric vehicles exhibited lower reliability than internal combustion engine vehicles, rapid technological advancements have allowed newer BEVs to achieve comparable lifespans, even under more intensive use.”
Researchers found that BEVs were 12 per cent less likely to cause afailure for each successive year of production, compared to 6.7 per cent for petrol and 1.9 per cent for diesel vehicles.
Co-author Dr Viet Nguyen-Tien, from the London School of Economics, 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.”
Meanwhile, co-author Robert Elliott, Professor of Economics at the University of Birmingham, explained that BEVs offer significant environmental benefits.
The study also identified the top-performing brands for vehicle longevity with Tesla being among the top ranked for EVs while Audi and Skoda ranked highly for petrol and diesel.
The research comes as the Government is looking to boost the uptake of electric vehicles and reinforce its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
The mandate currently requires 100 per cent of new car sales to be electric by 2035. Under these rules, manufacturers are required to have 28 per cent of sales be electric by the end of this year.
A consultation is currently underway and will run until February 18 with car makers and industry experts urged to share their views on the future of the mandate.
It states: “All major automotive manufacturers recognise the inevitability of the shift to electrification. All are having to invest huge sums in developing new vehicles and new technologies at pace, at great cost, and in the face of new competitive and international headwinds.
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The UK is currently looking to ramp up its EV rollout to meet a new 2030 deadline
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“We should not pretend that this is easy or that it will happen without a Government willing to listen and respond to global trends. This Government is determined to support automotive companies as they revamp their production lines, adjust their business plans, and develop the technology needed for the next generation of zero emission vehicles.”