How reliable are electric cars?

Many people have concerns regarding the warranty they'll get on the battery if they buy an EV.  A survey carried out in January 2025 by electriccarguide.co.uk, shows a range of warranties on batteries of electric cars of between 7-10 years, with associated mileage capped at 80,000-100,000 miles. General expectation, however, is that such batteries should last in the range 10-20 years.  The lifespan of most EV batteries can be extended by keeping them charged between 50 per cent and 80 per cent as much as possible.

As more electric cars are sold, there is more reliability data available than ever.  A What Car? survey completed at the end of last year, reported that a tiny proportion of faults with EV's related to the battery or motor-related electrics.

We've all heard in the news about recent catastrophes supposedly caused by fires in electric cars - and customers have asked us if they are a higher risk than non-electric cars.  We've found recent statistics released by a European Civil Contingency Agency, which calculated that EVs are 20 times less likely to catch fire than petrol and diesel vehicles.