According to What Car?, This Brand Holds the Title for the Most Dependable EV

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electric vehicles can lose value and repairing them can be both difficult and costly; therefore, anyone considering an EV should conduct some reliability research before fully embracing the electric lifestyle. Fortunately, the well-established U.K. car-buying brand and magazine What Car? releases an annual, detailed survey of the most dependable vehicles, which includes electric cars and SUVs, and for 2025, two BMW models topped the EV ranking.

This survey, carried out in partnership with MotorEasy, a U.K. car-management and protection service, gathers insights from 32,493 owners over the last 24 months. The 2025 assessment featured 46 fully electric models (along with 27 electric SUVs), covering vehicles up to five years old.

With the survey findings, What Car? developed a ranking focusing on overall reliability, frequent issues, average repair costs, and additional metrics. BMW dominated the electric rankings, with the i3 and i4 claiming the first and second positions respectively. Let’s explore why BMW electric vehicles are so reliable, as well as review the remainder of the list.

Reasons for BMW’s top position

Both BMW models achieved exceptional reliability ratings, with the i3 earning a 97.4% and the i4 not far behind at 96.8%. The most notable figure was repair expenses: 100% of surveyed owners indicated they incurred no repair costs at all. This suggests they either experienced no problems needing repairs or that any repairs were entirely covered by BMW. However, there is a slightly concerning aspect regarding the no-cost repairs for the i3; for half of the reported repairs, the i3 was unavailable for a week or longer. This may partly be due to BMW halting production of the i3 in 2022, making replacement parts harder to obtain.

In contrast, the i4, the electric counterpart of the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, remains in production, with only 16% of the i4s in What Car?’s survey reporting any issues. Repairs were generally quicker, with 67% addressed in a day or less, and just 25% at the dealership for more than a week. Though it’s not a reliability measure, the i4 surpassed its stated range in a test by Consumer Reports, particularly impressive considering that some EVs fell short by 50 miles or more.

BMW has a natural advantage in the EV sector stemming from extensive experience. The brand has not only been manufacturing premium vehicles for many years, but has also been in the EV arena longer than most conventional manufacturers and electric-only startups. The i3 started production in 2013, and the company’s first production EV, the Mini E, began testing in 2008. Indeed, BMW’s electric heritage traces back to 1972, when it developed a prototype electric vehicle known as the BMW 1602 Electric for the Munich Olympics.