IMI warns against MOT extension

The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) has warned that extending the date of the first MOT will significantly increase road user risk.

It conducted in-depth analysis of MOT data in order to respond to the Department for Transport’s MOT Consultation and found clear evidence that extending MOTs could pose real risks.

In particular, the risks surrounding electric will be heightened if the first MOT date is extended with evidence revealing that comparative to petrol engine vehicles, electric vehicles are much more likely to fail their first MOT test.

The data also indicates that EVs fail more on dangerous items than petrol vehicles, primarily tyres.

Hayley Pells, policy manager at the IMI, said: “Many motorists are likely to believe that they can wait for their first MOT to pick up any issues with tyres. However, the data shows that electric vehicles tend to fail on their tyres more than traditional petrol vehicles. If the first MOT is extended this will be a serious concern for road safety as well as potentially having a significant impact on consumer confidence in electric vehicles, which is unfair as the technology appears to perform well in other areas of current MOT testing.

“The IMI’s response to the MOT Consultation will therefore strongly advise that increasing the time before a periodic inspection of cars is detrimental for road safety. It reduces the frequency of maintenance and inspections that are critical to ensuring that vehicles are in good condition and performing at their best.”