A study places Tesla as the brand with the most durable electric vehicles, with a useful life of up to 400 thousand kilometres

When we talk about electric vehicles, attention tends to focus on the price of “fuel” per kilometre compared with combustion-engine vehicles, the reduction in emissions, or the immediate response when pressing the accelerator. However, one of the most important advantages of this type of vehicle is often overlooked: durability.

A recent study worth paying attention to puts the data on the table about this question, which any buyer should also weigh when deciding which vehicle to purchase.

The firm iSeeCars has analysed more than 174 million passenger vehicles to determine which brands’ models are most likely to reach a useful life of 250 thousand miles, just over 400 thousand kilometres. To the surprise of some, Tesla has placed itself in the top positions, well ahead of other competitors.

According to this study, a Tesla has a 4.6 percent probability of reaching 400 thousand kilometres on the odometer. Although this percentage is slightly below the industry average of 4.8 percent, this is due to the excellent performance of vehicles from three Japanese brands, which raise the overall average. Tesla ranks sixth, behind Acura (7.2%), Honda (10.8%), Lexus (12.8%) and, in first place, Toyota, with an impressive 17.8 percent.

Who said electric cars aren’t durable?

Tesla thus ranks above 26 brands in the ranking, in most cases by a significant margin, thereby debunking the urban legend that electric vehicles are not durable because you will end up with battery problems.

It is worth noting that this study also reveals that luxury brands, with exceptions such as Lexus and Acura, tend to fall below the average. However, according to iSeeCars, this can largely be explained by the habits of many owners of this type of vehicle.

“The lower likelihood of a luxury vehicle reaching 250 thousand miles reflects how its owners use it—less intensively—more than the quality of its manufacture.”

It is therefore evident that electric vehicles withstand the passage of time and high mileages well. Tesla’s position in this ranking attests to this. The fact that a particular electric model does not turn out to be as reliable as expected should be explained by other factors, such as build quality or the components used, but it is not conditioned by the fact that it is electric.