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

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Electric 91.2% 15,258
Hybrid 87.1% 8,387
All BMW I389.7%23,645

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. 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.

Other BMW I3 fuel types

All BMW I3 MOT data · Every model