In association with MotorEasy
What Car? Reliability Survey: Most and least reliable electric cars
In our annual Reliability Survey, we ask readers to rate the dependability of cars aged up to five years old. Here we list the most and least reliable electric cars in the UK...
With many new models and brands entering the electric car class, this is one of the most exciting sectors of the new car market.
This year the What Car? Reliability Survey gathered data on 34 pure electric models - the 18 reported on in this story and a further 34 in the electric SUV category. While the used Mini Electric tops this chart, the Tesla Model Y gains the highest socre in the electric SUV reliability chart, and it is the highest scoring pure electric model overall.
When it comes to reliability, electric cars are mid-league; those in this chart scored 90.7% last year and 87.7% this year. Electric SUVs are a bit more robust, with a rating of 89.3% this year.
The most common faults with electric models aren't related to their electric motors or EV battery packs, they're electrical niggles that also affect hybrid and petrol versions of the same, or similar, models.
The 2025 What Car? Reliability Survey is live, tell us about your car now
Most reliable electric cars
1. Mini Electric (2020-2024)
Reliability rating 98.4%
-
Most common faults: Motor electrics 3%, 12-volt battery 2%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: one day to a week
Luxurious, well equipped and quick, the Mini Electric is a joy to drive and to sit in. However, its official range is just 145 miles, and that's likely to drop to 124 miles in real world condtions, so it may not suit all drivers. It's only available as a three-door, so anyone travelling in the back two seats needs to be fairly agile to manoeuvre their way in.
That said, the Mini Electric is one of the most reliable electric cars you can buy. In fact, it's far more dependable than its Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa Electric rivals. Only 5% of the cars reported on in our survey had niggles, and these were restricted to their 12-volt batteries or motor electrics. While it took up to a week to rectify these faults, all cars remained driveable and all were fixed at no cost.
Owner’s view: “Faultlessly reliable and I love the quality feel of its interior.”
2. Nissan Leaf (2019-present)
Reliability rating 95.6%
-
Most common faults: interior trim 5%, brakes 3%, non-motor electrics 3%
-
Average repair cost: 60% £0, 40% £300-£1000
-
Typical time off road: 60% one day or less, 40% more than one week
The Nissan Leaf is a well equipped electric car that’s cheap on the secondhand market. It's also good to drive and easy to live with, but it's not as comfortable or practical as many rivals, including the Volkswagen ID 3.
However, it is a very robust option, appearing in the top end of our reliability charts for the past few years. Only 11% of the Leafs in our survey had a glitch – either with the brakes, interior trim or non-motor electrics. Those faults didn’t cause any breakdowns, and 60% of the affected cars were put right in a day or less. However, while Nissan paid for 60% of repairs, the remaining 40% of owners had to pay between £301 and £1000.
Reliability rating 95.5%
-
Most common faults: bodywork 9%, non-motor electrics 9%, battery/charging 6%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 56% one day or less, 44% more than a week
The BMW i4 is a great option for anyone who wants to go electric, but doesn't want to shout about it to the world. That's because it's essentially an electric version of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé , and the 4 Series and its close sibling, the BMW 3 Series, are pretty much the benchmarks for their respective classes, so the i4 has a solid foundation.
Although the i4 had its share of faults (27% of owners said their cars had gone wrong), this was offset by the fact that all repairs were done for free and 56% of affected cars were fixed in a day or less. Most of the issues were minor, relating to interior trim; there were also a few air-con and drive battery/charging faults.
=3. Renault Megane E-Tech (2022-present)
Reliability rating 95.5%
-
Most common faults: interior trim 7%, non-motor electrics 7%, sat-nav/infotainment system 7%, suspension 7%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 25% one day or less, 75% one day to a week
While the Renault Megane E-Tech may sound familiar, it is like no other previous Megane model. Although it is a hatchback, it's clothed in chunky, SUV-like styling. That said, it doesn't sit high on the road like an SUV, and in reality it's closer in size and styling to an MG4. positive traits include the fact that it has a comfortable ride, it's quiet and refined on motorways, and its range is competitive.
It's faring well for reliability so far, too. Only 14% of Renault Megane E-Tech owners had any problems with their cars, and those issues concerned the electrics, interior trim, sat-nav/infotainment system and the suspension. The problems didn't leave any cars undriveable, and all faults were rectified in less than a week; 25% of cars were put right in a day or less. Best of all, Renault covered the cost of all repairs.
5. Volkswagen e-Up (2013-2023)
Reliability rating 94.6%
-
Most common faults: air-con 6%, 12-volt battery 6%, non-motor electrics 6%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 33% one day or less, 67% more than a week
Based on the Volkswagen Up city car, the e-Up is compact and nippy to drive around town, and relatively refined for motorway driving. It has an official range of 161 miles, which is lower than many larger rivals, but still trumps that of the Mini Electric and Honda E.
Slow repairs were the main bugbear of the 13% of Volkswagen e-Up owners whose cars went wrong. Two-thirds of faulty cars were in the workshop for more than a week. At least the car maker paid for all the remedial work, taking the financial sting out of the problems. Troublespots included the air-con, 12-volt battery and non-motor electrics.
6. BMW i3 (2013-2022)
Reliability rating 94.5%
-
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 3%, motor electrics 1%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 75% one day or less
Like the e-Up, the BMW i3 is one of the oldest EVs in our survey, yet it's up there with the best of the newcomers when it comes to dependability. A mere 9% of owners reported a fault with their car, affecting the air-con, non-motor electrics and suspension. Three-quarters of cars were fixed in less than a week, and the rest took more than a week. Some owners had to have deep pockets, though, because BMW only paid for 25% of remedial work, leaving some owners having to find between £200 and £1500 to get their cars put right.
In spite of its age, the i3 has modern-looking styling and a classy interior. As well as pure electric options, there was a range-extender version available from launch until 2017, which had a two-cylinder petrol engine that acted as a generator when the battery was depleted, banishing range anxiety. The latest 2019 42kW pure electric version has the best official range of up to 182 miles.
7. Cupra Born (2022-present)
Reliability rating 92.5%
-
Most common faults: sat-nav/infotainment 17%, non-motor electrics 9%, bodywork 4%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 41% one day or less, 54% more than a week
The Born is the sportier twin of the Volkswagen ID 3, and it boasts sharper handling and a classier interior. If you're after an EV with a relatively long range, the range-topping BornVZ promises 366 miles between charges, although this went down to 294 miles in our summer real-range test. The most affordable 59kW version has an official range of 264 miles.
While the Born appears to be robust in many areas, it's suffered with the same non-engine electrical issues as other Volkswagen Group models. Just over a quarter (26%) of the Borns in our survey had an issue, and the majority of them were with the sat-nav/infotainment system. It's reassuring that Cupra covered the cost of all repair work, but less comforting to hear that 54% of affected cars were out of action for more than a week.
8. MG 5 (2020-present)
Reliability rating 92.0%
-
Most common faults: EV battery pack 17%, air-con 4%, suspension 4%
-
Average repair cost: 83% £0, 17% £301-£500
-
Typical time off road: 17% one day to a week, 50% more than a week
Like the Cupra Born, it's slow repairs that pull down the score of the MG 5: 50% of faulty cars were in the garage for more than a week. Overall, 21% of cars had problems, with the EV battery pack the biggest headache. While MG paid for the repairs on 83% of cars, the remaining owners were left with bills ranging from £301 to £500.
The MG5 is one of the cheapest mid-sized pure electric cars you can buy. It has plenty of room for a family of four, comes with lots of kit and its range of 250 miles is relatively decent. That said, it's not as good to drive as some rivals and its maximum charging speed of 87kW means it'll take about an hour to recharge at 50kW unit or just over 40 minutes on a 100kW charger, which is slower than many alternatives.
9. Tesla Model 3 (2019-present)
Reliability rating 89.5%
-
Most common faults: Bodywork 12% non-motor electrics 7%, suspension 7%
-
Average repair cost: 86% £0, 5% more than £1500
-
Typical time off road: 51% one day or less, 31% more than a week
Tesla has made big improvements in reliability in the past few years, jumping from the lower echelons of our brand chart to 15th place out of 31 brands in the latest survey. The Model 3 isn't perfect, but it is now a pretty dependable option.
Owners told us that 27% of their cars went wrong, mostly with bodywork, electrical system and suspension issues. Most cars could still be driven, and 51% were fixed in a day or less, but 31% spent more than a week off the road. While Tesla covered the cost of 86% of work, a small percentage of owners paid out more than £1500 to get their cars fixed.
10. Polestar 2 (2020-present)
Reliability rating 89.3%
-
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 14%, sat-nav/infotainment 14%, 12-volt battery 10%, EV battery pack 7%, interior trim 7%
-
Average repair cost: £0
-
Typical time off road: 36% one day or less, 20% more than a week
The Polestar 2 is a Tesla Model 3 rival that acquits itself well in many respects: it has an official range of up to 400-plus miles, it has a classy interior and exemplary safety credentials. However, with a fault rate of 33%, it's not the most dependable pure electric model.
Polestar 2 reported issues in a number of areas including the electric battery pack, brakes, interior trim and non-motor electrical systems including the sat-nav/infotainment system. Although the car maker covered the cost of all remedial work, repairs were sometimes slow: only around a third of cars were fixed in a day or less, 44% were in the workshop for up to a week and 20% were off the road for more than a week.
Reliability rating 63.8%
-
Most common faults: Non-motor electrics 15%, interior trim 9%, bodywork 7%, motor 7%, sat-nav/ infotainment 7%, battery/charging system 4%, gearbox/clutch 4%, motor electrics 4%, air-con 2%, brakes 2%, steering 2%, suspension 2%
-
Average repair cost: 55% £0, 39% £1000-more than £1500
-
Typical time off road: 16% one day to a week, 68% more than a week
The MG4 is a great value proposition for a pure electric model. because it's actually cheaper than many petrol or hybrid equivalents. It also offers a competitive range, decent charging speed, spacious rear seats and generous standard equipment.
However, it performed poorly in our latest reliability survey, coming bottom in its class. With issues in almost all of our fault categories, 30% of the cars reported on went wrong. MG only paid for repairs in 55% of cases, leaving 39% of faults costing £1000 or more to put right, according to owners. Repairs weren’t always swift, either; 68% of affected cars took more than a week to fix.
Owner's view: "The charging socket on my brand new MG 4 broke after just 10 weeks of ownership."
2. Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2019-present)
Reliability rating 72.2%
-
Most common faults: air-con 13%, EV battery pack 13%, non-motor electrics 13%, 12-volt battery 8%, motor electrics 8%, sat-nav/infotainment system 8%
-
Average repair cost: 61% £0, 28% £301-£1000
-
Typical time off road: 11% one day or less, 50% more than a week
The Vauxhall Corsa Electric is the pure electric version of the Corsa small car. It is a decent electric car and a worthy rival to the Renault Zoe and Mini Electric. It has a competitive range, but falls a little short on handling, refinement and interior quality.
The electric Corsa is more fault-prone than its petrol sibling, with 25% of owners reporting issues, mainly with the air-con, drive battery/charging and non-motor electrics. Half took more than a week to fix. Repairs were free for 61% of owners; most of the rest didn’t pay more than £500.
Vauxhall Corsa Electric review
3. Porsche Taycan (2019-present)
Reliability rating 76.2%
-
Most common faults: Air-con 36%, bodywork 12%, EV battery pack 6%, motor electrics 6%, non-motor electrics 6%, sat-nav/infotainment system 6%
-
Average repair cost: 97% £0, 3% £1000-£1500
-
Typical time off road: 38% one day to a week, 56% more than a week
All versions of the Porsche Taycan are extremely swift, with amazing handling, and they're all wonderfully classy and reasonably practical inside. In fact, in many respects it's one of the very best electric cars you can buy. However, it's suffered more than its fair share of issues, according to owners.
More than half (58%) of the Taycans in our survey went wrong, with a range of issues including air-con, drive battery/charging, bodywork and various electrical issues. Getting cars fixed was slow, too; 56% were off the road for more than seven days, but at least Porsche covered the cost of 97% of repair work.
Reliability of electric cars aged up to five years old
| Rank | Make and model | Score |
| 1 | Mini Electric (2020-present) | 98.4% |
| 2 | Nissan Leaf (2019-present) | 95.6% |
| 3 | BMW i4 (2021-present) | 95.5% |
| 3 | Renault Megane E-Tech (2022-present) | 95.5% |
| 5 | Volkswagen e-Up (2013-2023) | 94.6% |
| 6 | BMW i3 (2013-2022) | 94.5% |
| 7 | Cupra Born (2022-present) | 92.5% |
| 8 | MG 5 Electric (2020-present) | 92.0% |
| 9 | Tesla Model 3 (2019-present) | 89.5% |
| 10 | Polestar 2 (2020-present) | 89.3% |
| 11 | Renault Zoe (2013-2024) | 86.8% |
| 12 | Peugeot e-208 (2019-present) | 86.5% |
| 13 | Volkswagen ID 3 (2020-present) | 86.2% |
| 14 | Hyundai Ioniq (2016-2022) | 84.5% |
| 15 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 (2021-present) | 83.9% |
| 16 | Porsche Taycan (2020-present) | 76.2% |
| 17 | Vauxhall Corsa Electric (2019-present) | 72.2% |
| 18 | MG 4 (2022-present) | 63.8% |
To read the reliability data for other car classes follow these links:
Most and least reliable cars overall
Most reliable car brands
Most reliable small cars
Most reliable family cars
Most reliable executive cars
Most reliable luxury cars
Most reliable small SUVs
Most reliable family SUVs
Most reliable large SUVs
Most reliable electric cars
Most reliable electric SUVs
Most reliable sports cars
Most reliable diesel cars
Most reliable petrol cars
Most reliable hybrid cars
How the research was carried out
The annual What Car? Reliability Survey, conducted in association with MotorEasy, polls thousands of car owners about the reliability of their cars. The latest survey gained 29,967 responses and that enabled us to report on 199 models (up to five years old) from 31 different car brands.
All car owners are asked to tell us if their car suffered any faults over the previous 24 months. For every car that has suffered a fault, we ask in what area the issue occurred, plus how much it cost to repair and how long it spent in the workshop. This information is used to create a reliability rating for each model and brand where we have a large enough response rate.
To gain a better insight into the areas that are causing problems, we also ask owners to let us know what part of the car was faulty. For all cars we have 14 different fault areas: air-con, battery, bodywork, brakes, engine or motor, engine or motor electrics, exhaust, fuel system, gearbox/clutch, interior trim, non-engine or motor electrics, sat-nav/infotainment, steering and suspension systems. On top of this, we've added two new categories for electric cars: charging and drive battery issues, and difficulties with electric motors.
About the report author
Claire Evans has spent more than 30 years working as a motoring journalist, and has spent much of that time working on consumer issues. In the 1990s, she was the advice columnist for Carweek magazine, helping car owners with all sorts of automotive issues.
She also worked on the motoring desk for Which? for six years, overseeing the running of the charity's annual used car reliability survey.
Claire launched the What Car? Reliability Survey in 2017, and since then has used the data collected each year to help thousands of buyers choose the most reliable new cars and SUVs, as well as the most dependable used cars.
