A study has looked into the reliability of electric vehicles (EVs) and revealed the Lexus NX and the Hyundai IONIQ as the cars that came out on top.

Car finance provider Zuto analysed over 1.7 million MOT tests across a variety of different electric and hybrid car models and found that the Lexus NX had a pass rate of 93.13 per cent, closely followed by the Hyundai IONIQ with 91.55 per cent, reports the Press and Journal.

Making up the top five were Toyota’s RAV4 and the BMW I3, both scoring over 90 per cent, and then the Kia Niro with 89.99 per cent.

The BMW I3 came out as the most reliable electric-only car.

The top 15 vehicles included the likes of Mercedes, Honda, Tesla, Volvo, and Volkswagen, but the results, all recorded between January 2016 and May 2021, showed that the top 30 car models all had pass rates above 84 per cent.

Lucy Sherliker, Head of Customer at Zuto, said: “We wanted to research the models and brands that currently have the best MOT pass rates to help anyone that is looking to purchase an electric or hybrid car in the near future.

“It’s great to see a range of electric and hybrid car types featured in the most reliable models, showing that even the more affordable options, such as the Honda Jazz, provide great value for money.”  

Tesla, despite dominating the electric-only car industry as being one of the most popular brands, was shown that its glamour was not reflected in its MOT reliability. The Tesla Model X finished in tenth place with 88.76 per cent, and Model S in twelfth with 88.22 per cent.

The study also revealed the most common faults that caused MOT fails for electric and hybrid cars, which included front tyres being worn down to close their legal limit, with the passenger side being the most common, followed by the driver side.

It was also seen that affordable electric and hybrid cars scored well in the study, with the Honda JAZZ hybrid getting ninth place, with 89 per cent, and the Volkswagen e-Golf scoring a pass rate of 88 per cent, highlighting the value and longevity of more affordable EVs.

The study comes as the UK ramps up its efforts to achieve the goal of banning the sale of new petrol cars by 2030. As part of the Government’s green plan, all new cars and vans will be fully zero-emission from 2035.

The Government has announced that it would be investing more into the sector, through grants to help buy cars and building more charging stations.

It has been estimated that an EV driver is now never more than 25 miles away from a rapid charging point along England’s motorways and major A roads, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said the industry will create more than 40,000 new jobs by 2030, particularly in the North East and the Midlands.

The Government’s energy watchdog, Ofgem, found that one in four UK households intend to buy an electric car within the next five years.


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