Electric vehicles have some of the worst first-time MOT pass rates of any cars –

Electric cars might have fewer moving components than their petrol and diesel counterparts, but they are still just as likely – if not more so – to fail their first MOT test, according to official records.

Data provided by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) – the government body responsible for overseeing MOTs – shows that five of the 10 motors with the worst first pass rates are EVs.

All cars are required to undergo their first annual roadworthiness assessment from the third year after they were registered, irrespective of their fuel type.

And a freedom of information request issued to the DVSA by vehicle history checking platform Carvertical revealed that the Mercedes EQC – an electric SUV that cost from £65,000 new – has the highest failure rate of all.

Of the 4,179 EQCs that were registered in 2022 and underwent their initial MOT in 2025, some 717 didn’t pass. That’s a failure rate of 17.2 per cent, which is more than any other model.

The data also shows that Tesla’s current vehicle range are among those with the worst pass rates of all. 

But experts say there is one specific reason why EVs have a higher likelihood of failing an MOT…

The DVSA’s records place the Tesla Model Y in seventh among the list of cars with the worst first MOT pass rates.

Elon Musk’s electric SUV was the nation’s most popular EV – with almost 25,000 purchased last year – having first arrived on UK shores in 2022.

Of the 19,282 examples registered that year and was therefore subject to their first MOTs in 2025, 2,859 failed at a rate of 14.8 per cent.

And it wasn’t much better news for its Model 3 saloon sibling, which was two places lower in the rankings with an initial MOT fail rate of 14.6 per cent.

Other electric models featuring in the order of worst first-time MOT fail rates include the BMW i4 (14.9 per cent) and Citroen e-C4 (14.4 per cent).

The non-EVs making up the rest of the top 10 were the Ford Tourneo Custom and Connect SUVs, Vauxhall’s Insignia (which went out of production in 2022) Land Rover Discovery Sport and BMW X5.

Carvertical said that the presence of electric models at the top of the rankings ‘highlights how EVs are now a common sight on UK roads and are increasingly reflected in MOT data’.

However, historical MOT records suggest there may be another reason why EVs are among the cars with the worst pass rates…

A report compiled by the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) in 2023 claimed EVs are 40 per cent more likely to fail an MOT on tyre-related issues compared to petrol cars.

It attributed this to the greater average weight of EVs compared to other vehicles as well as tyres being worn out more quickly due to the incredible instant power generated by battery cars.

The immediate torque produced by their electric motors – which means the cars can deliver monumental thrust from a standing start – typically sees EVs churn through tyres more quickly.

In order to pass an MOT, a vehicle’s tyre must have more than 1.6mm of tread depth across the central three-quarters of the tyre, covering its entire circumference.

Concerningly for EV drivers, the report also found that the overall MOT failure rate for newer EVs was higher than their petrol vehicle equivalents.

Department for Transport (DfT) data from 2015 to 2018 revealed that 46 per cent of EV MOT failures caused by tyres.

Over the same time period, only 32 per cent of MOT failures could be attributed to tyres for petrol cars.

Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI, said: ‘Most electrics are…