You might think that having an electric car – and not as many moving parts as a petrol or diesel model – means you’re more likely to pass the MOT first time.
Well you’d be right, so that’s another tick in the box for electric cars, but there’s a common problem that is blighting MOTS for EV drivers… or should we say there’s four problems?
Yes it’s the tyres that are more likely to fail your EV’s MOT than anything else.
A report in the summer found that by analysing 50 million MOT test results over the past three years, 82% of fully-electric cars passed on the first attempt, while hybrids were even better, chalking up a pass rate of 85%.
The EV’s petrol or diesel fuelled friends weren’t as successful, with 80% of petrol cars and 77% of diesel cars sailing though their MOT at the first time of asking.
But the report found that EVs have a higher failure rate for having tyres that don't meet legal minimum requirements.
The report found that over a third (36.18%) of pure EVs failed their MOT for having tyres that didn't meet legal standards. And hybrids didn't fare much better, with 33.24% flunking the assessment for substandard rubber.
Because electric cars deliver instant acceleration, the car’s tyres can wear faster than they would with a more gradual approach in a petrol or diesel car. And let’s not forget the extra weight from heavy onboard batteries – this also puts a strain on that tread.
So while your EV has fewer opportunities to fail the MOT – because it doesn’t have the traditional fuel lines, catalytic converters and filters that all need to be assessed on petrol and diesel cars – you’ll definitely want to keep an eye on your tyres.
These four pieces of rubber might be easy to forget about, being one of the more unglamourous elements of a car, but they are the only thing keeping your car on the road.
Checking tyre tread, pressure and condition regularly is vital in any car – even more so with an EV.
