Electric Cars and MOTs

Posted on 15 February 2019 by CarTakeBack

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So, you're considering buying an electric car, and you're looking at the maintenance and running costs. One of the things to consider, is does it need an MOT? In short, yes. All cars above three years old require an MOT certificate to be issued yearly for them to be legally driven on the roads. MOTs cover every safety-related aspect of your car, checking it to make sure it is roadworthy. There are exceptions for some cars over 40 years old, as they come under the regulations in place for classic cars.

What are the differences with an MOT for an EV?

With no emissions, an electric car doesn’t need to pass the emissions test, so this saves time at the test centre compared to cars with combustion engines. Plus there's no repair costs related to emissions to worry about!

Some electric cars use regenerative braking, which is where the car uses the momentum of the vehicle to slow the car down, rather than conventional breaks, when an instant stop isn't needed. Rarely using the brakes means less wear and tear on the pads and discs, and therefore could mean a lower maintenance spend around the time of the MOT.

Electric Car Charging Port

Should you buy that electric car you've had your eye on?


Car failed its MOT?

CarTakeBack buy cars in any condition. So if you have an old car that is too expensive to repair after an MOT failure, or it has broken down, we can provide you with an instant quote to sell your old car online. Plus we'll collect MOT failures from anywhere.

Get a quote for your MOT failure 

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