A new study has analyzed the results and concluded that electric cars can now match gasoline cars, while still far behind diesel cars in terms of mileage over their lifespan.
A new study shows that electric cars cannot yet match the lifespan of diesel cars, even though corded cars have caught up with gasoline cars.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the London School of Economics (LSE) have analyzed data from 30 million cars to examine the lifespan of electric cars compared to petrol and diesel cars.
The study, based on anonymized data from British car inspections, shows that electric cars have made great progress, but still lag behind diesel cars when it comes to lifespan.
– Although electric cars represent a newer technology that is traditionally less reliable, they have developed rapidly.
– The latest electric cars are expected to exceed the lifespan of average gasoline cars within the same category, say the people behind the study.
The study shows that a modern electric car has an average lifespan of 18.4 years and can travel 200,000 kilometers. Gasoline cars have an average lifespan of 18.7 years and travel 187,000 kilometers. Diesel cars have a shorter lifespan of 16.3 years, but often travel up to 410,000 kilometers.
However, electric cars are improving faster than petrol and diesel cars when it comes to reliability. For each year of production, the probability of failure in electric cars decreases by 12.6 percent. This should be compared with 6.7 percent for petrol cars and only 1.9 percent for diesel cars.
– Our results provide important insights into the lifespan and environmental impact of electric cars. Electric cars are no longer just a niche option.
But a sustainable alternative to traditional cars – an important step towards a zero-carbon future, says Dr. Viet Nguyen-Tien from LSE.
Professor Robert Elliott from Birmingham University adds that he believes electric cars have more environmental benefits in line with a different energy mix.
– Electric cars have significant environmental benefits, especially as Europe shifts to a more renewable energy mix.
"Despite higher emissions from production, a long-lasting electric car can quickly offset its carbon footprint and contribute to the fight against climate change – making them a more sustainable, long-term choice."
However, the researchers emphasize that more research is still needed into the lifespan of electric cars. We are still in the early stages of the current development of electric cars, and it is unknown how modern electric cars will fare in 20 or 30 years.
In addition, the cost of replacing batteries is still significantly higher than for similar components in petrol and diesel cars. Finally, the researchers acknowledge that some of the data from vehicle inspections may be incomplete due to the way it is recorded.
Although electric cars have made great progress, there are still challenges to overcome before they can match the lifespan of diesel cars.
