The Hyundai Ioniq Electric is the electric vehicle with the best MOT record in Britain, according to new analysis by Move Electric, Autocar’s sister brand.
The battery electric version of the Korean firm’s versatile saloon – which is also offered in hybrid and fuel cell form – had a 98.75% first time pass rate
Move Electric, which covers all forms of electric mobility, analysed 5230 EV MOT records held by the Department for Transport. Overall, 87% of EVs passed their MOT first time, compared to 86.65% of electric vehicles in a similar study of combustion-engined cars conducted by What Car? last year.
The Ioniq Electric saloon, which went into production in 2017, had a 98.75% first time pass rate, with owners averaging 29,558 miles when tested. The second-generation Nissan Leaf had a pass rate of 97.70%, with the Volkswagen e-Golf, which went out of production in 2020 to make way for the bespoke electric ID 3, third with 93.94%. The Tesla Model X (92.08%) and BMW i3 (91.81%) completed the top five.
All cars aged three years old are required to pass an annual MOT test in the UK, so the study does not include any of the newest generation of EVs that have launched in recent years.
The data did hint at the practicality of EVs, with the average vehicle having covered 34,331 miles when tested. The Tesla Model S, which had an 86.16% MOT pass rate, led the way, with owners covering 51,516 miles on average.
Move Electric ranked 16 vehicles for which there were more than 30 MOT test results available. The Reva G-Wiz, an Indian-built electric city car that was sold in the UK from 2001 until 2012, was the worst performer, with a first-time pass rate of 77.27%. You can see the full table here.
Move Electric editor James Attwood said: “The market for used electric cars is booming and our research shows that when it comes time for their first MOT test, they’re more likely to pass at the first attempt than petrol or diesel models. Another positive is the significant mileage many EV owners cover, which addresses the myth that electric cars cannot be used as daily transport.
"It's also worth remembering that the newest cars that needed an MOT in 2020 dated from 2017. Since then there has been an influx of new EVs that offer more range and practicality, and which also promise to be just as reliable and easy to live with day-to-day.”
What Car? conducted a similar analysis last year, finding an MOT pass rate for petrol and diesel cars aged under eight years old of 84.46%, with the vehicles having completed an average of 41,304 miles.
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