A new fleet car can reach the end of its first lease without ever needing a safety inspection to renew its registration. If it’s an electric vehicle with a service interval of 12 or 24 months, it may also make few visits to a workshop. In that time, a set of tyres can wear below the legal tread limit.
That leaves Fleet Managers with a question worth asking before the first EV arrives. Who will check the tyres between services, and how will you know the check was done?
In New South Wales, most light vehicles only require a registration safety inspection, commonly known as a pink slip, once they’re more than five years old. A fleet that buys new and replaces its cars within five years may never have to put them through a renewal inspection. The rules vary across Australia, but the implication is the same wherever a vehicle has no annual inspection during its time in the fleet. The organisation needs its own way of checking whether the vehicle remains roadworthy between workshop visits.
What the UK data tells us
UK road safety organisation TyreSafe analysed MOT inspection results for cars tested in 2024 and 2025, comparing vehicles of the same age and annual mileage. Electric cars recorded dangerous tyre defects at 1.5 times the rate of comparable petrol cars in both years. More than 33,000 electric cars had a dangerous tyre defect at their MOT in 2025.
The difference was pronounced among cars that had already travelled at least 36,000 miles, or about 58,000 km, by their first MOT. About one in 14 electric cars in that group had a dangerous tyre defect, compared with one in 24 petrol cars.
The finding with the broadest relevance to fleets applies to every powertrain. Among cars up to seven years old, around two in three dangerous tyre defects were found on vehicles that had received no tyre advisory at their previous year’s MOT. Rates also varied widely by model. Several heavy electric models recorded lower rates than petrol cars, while high-torque, performance-oriented cars of both powertrains had some of the highest rates.
For Fleet Managers, that variation makes local inspection records valuable. They can show which vehicles are wearing through tyres quickly and where the fleet needs to check more often.
Monitor tyre checks as part of preventive maintenance
A fleet can have every scheduled service completed on time and still have no record of anyone looking at its tyres between visits. Preventive maintenance compliance needs to capture both.
Start by assigning a driver or vehicle custodian to each vehicle, including pool cars. Set a check frequency that reflects how the vehicle is used and how many kilometres it covers. Record the date, odometer reading, tread depth and any visible damage or uneven wear. If a check is missed, follow it up. If a defect is found, track it through to repair or replacement.
The check needs to happen early enough to act on the result. A tyre approaching the legal tread limit on a high-kilometre vehicle may need replacing well before the next scheduled service. Recording tread depth over time gives the Fleet Manager a better basis for planning that replacement and budgeting for tyres across different models.
Give drivers a clear role
Company fleets and novated lease customers are among the early adopters of electric vehicles. The providers that finance those vehicles or administer their maintenance can help establish the routine from day one.
At handover, drivers and custodians should know when to check the tyres, how to report a concern and where to book an inspection or replacement. When a provider manages the maintenance program, it can send reminders, explain how tyre replacements are approved and confirm when work is complete. For novated lease drivers, it should be clear who to contact and what the maintenance package covers.
A Fleet Manager reviewing preventive maintenance should be able to answer three questions for each vehicle. When were the tyres last checked? Who checked them? What happened to any defects they found? Those answers matter even when the next service is months away.
