Revealed: Top ten most reliable EV manufacturers

Exclusive analysis of data published by the Department of Transport has revealed the electric vehicles (EVs) with the highest MOT pass rates.

With the push for Zero Emissions, it is important to make sure you are picking a reliable EV. Photo Credit: Ernest Ojeh via UnSplash

In 2023, Jaguar vehicles received the highest number of first-time MOT passes, in 2022 they came fourth.

In 2023 there was a total of 140,602 MOTs conducted on electric vehicles less than three years old. Once a car reaches three years old is when they are required to have an MOT. Before this date, it is optional for a vehicle to have an MOT.

There is one major difference between the MOT test for an EV and those that internal combustion engine cars (ICE). During an EV MOT there is no emission test, apart from that they will follow the same MOT as other passenger cars.

Dr Jean-Paul Skeete a lecturer at Cardiff Business School explained that because EV’s have fewer moving parts as well as reduced wear and tear and fewer fluid and filter changes, when compared to their ICE counter parts EVs typically offer less maintenance and more reliability.

"[EVs have] simpler transmissions and reduced wear and tear, such as fluid and filter changes" Dr Skeete said.

The way that EVs work does share similarities with their ICE counter parts however, mechanically they are much simpler than an ICE vehicle.

Car dealer and EV owners club creator, Gary Cambridge explained that on his EVs, the main areas he had to maintain have been the consumable parts, such as tyres and brake pads.

On his Tesla, he has the battery replaced. While this can seem a daunting repair, in this case they were replaced under warranty.

Gary said: “The battery had water ingress; it was a manufacturing issue.”

He did have to replace the motor on the car which has covered 170,000 miles. When discussing this, Gary compared this to cars eventually may require a new gearbox or even engine.

One of the worries of EV ownership can be the battery degradation that can happen. Over time, the battery will lose its maximum capacity, reducing the range that an EV can travel.

Dr Skeete said: “Charging too often can affect the rate the battery is able to recharge to full.”

While the frequency of charging can impact the longevity of the battery, also the style of charging can affect the reliability of the battery, Dr Skeete said: “If you’re rapid charging a lot, that can also affect battery health.”

For potential new EV owners, it is important to speak with those that own EV’s to understand what they are like own and live with on a day-to-day basis according to Gary.

He said: "People listen to the internet a bit too much unfortunately.”

During 2022, there was a total of 110,102 MOT tests for EV’s with a first use date of 2019 onwards.

In both 2022 and 2023, the Volkswagen ID4 came up top with a 97% first time MOT pass rate.

Comparing the number of EVs that went for an MOT in 2023, to that in 2022 there was 30,500 more EV MOTs conducted.