International research team used MOT data to estimate failure rates of all cars

Battery cars on Britain’s roads are lasting as long as petrol and diesel cars, according to a new study that 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.