A new study led by the University of Birmingham and the London School of Economics (LSE) has revealed that modern battery electric vehicles (BEVs) now offer reliability and longevity comparable to, and in some cases better than, internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The research, which analyzed over 300 million records, including data from 30 million cars, was published in Nature Energy and marks a significant milestone in the evolution of electric vehicle technology.
The study examined anonymized MOT test data from Great Britain, spanning records from 2005 to 2022. The findings indicate that early electric vehicles struggled with longevity, but the latest BEVs are expected to outlast the average ICE vehicle in the same cohort.
Researchers noted that BEVs are improving rapidly, with a 12% decrease in the likelihood of failure for each year of production. This improvement rate is substantially higher than the 6.7% for petrol vehicles and 1.9% for diesels.
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Dr. Viet Nguyen-Tien from LSE, one of the study’s co-authors, emphasized that BEVs have become a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional vehicles. With Europe’s shift towards renewable energy, BEVs offer significant environmental benefits, even considering the higher emissions associated with their initial production. The study also concluded that a long-lasting BEV can quickly offset its carbon footprint, making it a more sustainable choice over time.
The study also offered specific figures to highlight the progress of modern BEVs. The average lifespan of a current BEV is 18.4 years, with the vehicle covering 124,000 miles (200,000 km) before reaching the end of its lifeāsurpassing the average lifespan of petrol-powered vehicles, which is 18.7 years and 116,000 miles. Diesel vehicles, while generally having a shorter lifespan of 16.3 years, typically cover higher mileageāaround 255,000 miles (410,000 km).
However, the researchers caution that more research is needed to fully understand the long-term potential of electric vehicles, particularly as the technology continues to evolve.
They also note that battery replacement costs remain a challenge for BEVs, with current costs significantly higher than comparable component replacements in ICE cars. Despite these challenges, the rapid improvement in EV reliability suggests that the technology is moving quickly toward becoming a mainstream, long-lasting alternative to traditional vehicles.
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