10:15 am, September 22, 2026
EVs are becoming an increasingly important part of the UK automotive landscape. But while adoption continues to grow, the next phase of the transition could be driven by something far less discussed: confidence.
The used EV market is changing quickly and so are the conversations taking place in dealerships. For the first wave of electric vehicle buyers, much of the debate centred on range, charging infrastructure and purchase price. Those questions haven’t disappeared, but as increasing numbers of EVs enter the used market and move beyond their original manufacturer warranties, customers are starting to ask different ones.
Which models are proving reliable? What actually goes wrong? How expensive are they to repair? And what protection is available if something does fail? For dealers, being able to answer those questions confidently could become an increasingly important part of selling used EVs.
At Warranty Solutions Group (WSG), we believe one of the best ways to build that confidence is through evidence, giving dealers and motorists a clearer understanding of how EVs are actually performing in the real world.
There is no single EV reliability story
WSG’s latest EV Market View Report combines warranty claims data with insight from leading voices across the automotive sector to explore the trends influencing EV ownership, reliability, affordability and aftersales.
From used vehicle demand to workshop readiness, it provides a real-world view of where the industry stands today and some of the challenges and opportunities likely to shape what comes next.
The report analysed approximately 2,500 EV warranty claims and revealed a 23-fold difference in claim rates between the lowest and highest-performing models in the study.
The Renault Zoe recorded a claim rate of just 1.49%, while the Tesla Model S exceeded 34%. The report also found that high-voltage battery repairs accounted for only 2.14% of claims, challenging one of the most persistent concerns surrounding used EV ownership.
Specialist repair costs, however, remain an important consideration. Labour accounted for 29.9% of the average EV repair bill, with an average labour rate of £92.04 per hour. That gives dealers a much more nuanced story to tell customers than the familiar debate about battery life.
Five years of claims data adds another layer
WSG’s latest analysis of expired EV warranty policies since the company began operating in 2021 reinforces just how different the ownership experience can be between individual models.
Among vehicles meeting a minimum sample of 70 policies, the MINI Cooper recorded a claim rate of just 2.3%, compared with 30.6% for the Jaguar I-Pace – a difference of more than 13-fold. But frequency is only part of the picture. WSG’s latest data also shows that a higher claim rate does not necessarily mean a higher average repair cost. Some faults occur relatively infrequently but can generate substantial bills when they do happen.
High-voltage water heater claims averaged £1,543.09, onboard charger claims £1,474.10 and drive shaft repairs £1,240.27. One recent case demonstrates the potential exposure particularly clearly. A three-year-old Vauxhall Corsa with just 25,316 miles on the clock displayed an “Electric Traction System Fault” warning. The resulting electric-drive warranty claim reached £6,219.90.
What is still holding consumers back?
Reliability data is only part of the confidence equation. In WSG’s EV webinar, The EV Opportunity: Building Consumer Confidence in a Changing Market, Nick King, Insight Director at Auto Trader, discusses some of the concerns still influencing consumers considering an electric vehicle.
From worries about range and battery life to questions around charging, Nick highlights how misinformation and unnecessary barriers can make the decision feel more complicated than it needs to be. Keeping the experience simple could be key to helping more consumers feel confident about making the switch.
Hosted by WSG’s Phil Miskelly-Wise, the webinar brings together Nick and Sara Sloman, Director at The EV Café, to explore the changing EV market and the factors shaping consumer confidence.
The wider discussion examines affordability and consumer perception, the growing importance of the used EV market, battery health and charging, real-world ownership costs and the skills workshops will need as electrification accelerates.
It also raises an important question for retailers: what can the industry do to remove unnecessary barriers and make EV ownership easier for consumers to understand?
From selling an EV to selling confidence
Customers don’t need dealers to promise that nothing will go wrong. They need credible information about the vehicle they are considering and reassurance about what happens if it does.
That means understanding model-specific reliability, being transparent about potential ownership costs, having the right warranty protection available and ensuring the aftersales network has the skills required to diagnose and repair increasingly sophisticated vehicles.
The next phase of EV adoption will require more than getting electric vehicles onto forecourts. Dealers increasingly sit at the point where many of the questions surrounding EV ownership can be answered. A retailer equipped with model-specific evidence, appropriate warranty protection and strong aftersales support can offer something increasingly valuable: greater certainty throughout the ownership journey.
That knowledge can become a competitive advantage. WSG’s claims data shows why evidence matters. There is no universal EV ownership experience. Reliability differs between models, the most common faults aren’t necessarily the most expensive, and many of the components generating warranty claims are familiar mechanical and electrical parts rather than the high-voltage battery failures consumers often fear most.
The more clearly retailers can explain that reality, the easier it becomes to replace uncertainty with informed purchasing decisions.
Turn EV insight into action
The opportunity for dealers is already here. The question is how confidently they are equipped to capture it. WSG’s EV Market View Report provides the data behind the market – from model reliability and common faults to labour rates and high-value repairs.
The EV Opportunity webinar takes the conversation further, bringing together industry expertise to explore what is still holding consumers back and what dealers and the wider automotive sector can do about it.
And for retailers looking to give customers greater protection beyond the manufacturer warranty, WSG’s EV warranty solutions provide another practical way to support that ownership journey.
Explore the data. Hear the industry discussion. And talk to WSG about how claims intelligence and warranty protection can help your business turn EV uncertainty into customer confidence.