Electric motorcycles used to fail their MOT slightly more often than petrol.
Not any more. Here's the year they pulled ahead, in the DVSA data.
ElectricPetrol
First-time pass rate by test year. Electric shown from the first year with
≥ 200 electric tests (earlier samples too small to be reliable). Source: DVSA anonymised
MOT results, fuel type as recorded.
87.0%
electric pass rate, 2025
86.5%
petrol pass rate, 2025
+0.5pts
electric vs petrol, 2025
23×
EV test growth since 2011
In 2011, electric bikes passed first time 77.0% of the time,
behind petrol's
79.1%. By 2025 electric had reached 87.0%,
ahead of petrol at 86.5%, across
5,874 electric tests, up from just
257 in 2011. Fewer moving parts, no
exhaust or emissions items to fail, and a young fleet all help.