I think the idea that vehicles with emissions controls are inherently less reliable in any statistically meaningful way is highly suspect.

In addition, the most common failure points of vehicles are usually not related to the engine being unable to operate.

It’s usually accessory and wear issues: batteries, belts, tires, alternator, etc.

As a counterexample for you, the third generation Prius (2009-2014) has about the most bulletproof powertrain imaginable. Every UberX on the road is driving one with 300,000 miles on it and complete neglect-level maintenance.

eCVT transmissions in plug-in hybrid vehicles are simpler and more reliable with fewer wear parts (basically no wear parts) than pretty much every other transmission type, including manual transmissions.

I will also point out, being in the middle of nowhere should be ideal territory for electric vehicles if rural society had a little bit more imagination. They need minimal maintenance compared to any sort of combustion vehicle. You can avoid trucking gas and oil to remote locations, instead installing solar panels/batteries once (lord knows you’ve got plenty of land), set and forget it. Panels are dirt cheap and last 25+ years, batteries last 15+ years. Your oil deliveries are used once and depleted. Even without solar and battery, rural locations are far more likely to have electric utility service than any other utility.

Some examples that come to mind: EGR (exaust gas reciculator) valves tend to get stuck in older vehicles, I know I've had a couple old beaters with this tech die and the solution on a budget is to close the pipe and ignore the check engine light. Diesel engines went from crude mechanical fuel pumps to higher pressure (better atomization) but then the $1500 pump becomes a wear item that needs a rebuild several times over the life of a vehicle, back pressure from DEF systems takes some efficiency away and I've seen claims that they significantly shorten the usually long life of a diesel engine. I'm all for electric that's less mechanically complex, we've been going towards it, but a lot of funny stops along the way (a 12v lead starter battery in a hybred car with a sizable EV battery pack etc.)

300,000 is a joke compared to what most (non-hybrid) diesel engines last. Those are the ones that are most impacted by DPF and SCR systems that reduce reliability (in case of SCR, also DEF fluid you have to have accessible and add). Gasoline engines are not nearly as much impact by emissions controls IMO since as you say even the best case they normally not last past 300,000 (Toyota Tundra an exception that might even curb stomp the Prius, non-hybrid though) and emissions controls for those are more likely to last the life of the engine. It seems based on your comments that gasoline engines must be what you were familiar with but perhaps limited experience with [the usually more reliable] diesel engines.

The other bit about electric I see as a red herring. Obviously electric is superior if you have capacity and grid or battery for it, but it's a sideshow from emissions controls on outputs of petroleum engines. It's not an emission control on the output of the engine but rather displacing much of the work the engine is doing. It's still far from ideal for many rural/ag purposes. I've ran ag machinery in places where there isn't even roads let alone power panels or a place to hook in, either you haul diesel or you are fucked, and in fact it is often there so you can establish infrastructure in the first place.

I have owned a diesel passenger vehicle, if that makes me sound more qualified ;-)

I didn't realize we were talking about this level of heavy equipment, this level of remoteness (e.g., you're basically playing SnowRunner in real life), so yeah, obviously electric doesn't really make any level of sense there. For my comments on electric, I was really thinking about some of the farmer-types I know who are close enough to civilization to have electric service but far out enough to have no piped natural gas, no city water/sewer, etc.

From what I read/understand about SCR and DPF systems, you do your maintenance properly and follow your service manual and there shouldn't be that much of a longevity difference.

And what I gather, SCR in particular can improve engine longevity.

As a generality, I'm highly skeptical of the motivation to disable things like this. A lot of times it's done just because it's the new fangled thing, not really because the person is actually benefiting by disabling it. Or it's just groupthink, people do it because everyone they know swears by it. Do I take the little safety thing off my Bic lighter because I really need to or is it because someone showed me how and it felt good to do it?

And, I dunno, maybe after all of this, you’re still right as I’m wrong, but maybe more of us should believe that sacrificing some reliability is worth it to reduce NOx emissions by over 95%? NOx is a horrible emission from diesel engines.

I do realize there are technologies worth rejecting, like the cylinder deactivation on the V6 Honda Odyssey which is worth disabling.