Electric cars in UK last as long as petrol and diesel vehicles, study finds

Engineers have long suspected electric cars will be more reliable than petrol or diesel cars, because they contain many fewer moving parts. Photograph: mpohodzhay/Shutterstock

Battery cars on Britain’s roads are lasting as long as petrol and diesel cars, according to a study that has found a rapid improvement in electric vehicle reliability.

An international team of researchers has estimated that an electric car will have a lifespan of 18.4 years, compared with 18.7 years for petrol cars and 16.8 years for diesels, according to a peer-reviewed study published on Friday in the journal Nature Energy. The findings were based on 300m records from compulsory annual MOT tests of roadworthiness.