Electric BMW I3: MOT pass rate

91.2% of electric BMW I3s pass the MOT first time, measured across 15,258 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 30,081.

Electric against the other BMW I3 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

No exhaust, no emissions test and far fewer moving parts, which is why EVs post the highest pass rates of any fuel type. Tyres and suspension take the load instead, since they are heavier.

On the BMW I3 specifically, electric is the strongest at 91.2%, and this electric version sits 1.5 points above the 89.7% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The electric BMW I3 is the stronger side of this model on MOT data. Still judge the individual car, but the fuel type is a mild point in its favour. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average electric BMW I3 had covered 30,081 miles at test, against 55,909 for the hybrid. That is below average for a car this age, worth a mileage-consistency check since an unusually low reading is sometimes clocking rather than luck.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the BMW I3 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a electric BMW I3

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 0.2% of tests (5.69x the national rate for this defect)
2. Tyres on the same axle or on twin wheels are different sizes, 0.3% of tests (2.3x the national rate for this defect)
3. A tyre seriously damaged, 4% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.8% of tests
5. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.9% of tests
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
7. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests
8. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.5% of tests
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.3% of tests

From 15,269 DVSA-tracked electric BMW I3 tests, 2024, split out from the BMW I3's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 5.93% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a electric BMW I3

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 3.1% of tests (2.87x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 29.4% of tests (1.9x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25.8% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 5.4% of tests
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.6% of tests
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 0.5% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.4% of tests
8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.3% of tests
9. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.3% of tests
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.2% of tests

From 15,269 DVSA-tracked electric BMW I3 tests, 2024.

Other BMW I3 fuel types

• Hybrid BMW I3 - 87.1%

All BMW I3 MOT data · Every model