Electric vehicle owners are now covering higher annual mileage than those driving petrol cars, according to new data.
The average yearly distance driven in EVs in Britain is now 8,740 miles, which is 444 miles further than petrol cars, analysis of January figures shows.
Automotive data experts Solera cap hpi says this is a drastic turnaround compared to a decade ago.
When it reviewed the same data source in January 2015, the typical EV was being driven 6,355 miles per year, which was 2,288 miles less than petrol equivalents.
The calculations have been based on the company trade sales data for passenger cars, comprising an average of more than 1.8 million transactions each year.
The study suggests range anxiety is rapidly becoming a concern of the past for early adopters of electric cars as those who already own EVs are making use of a growing charging network as well as the latest vehicles with longer battery ranges.
The average yearly distance driven in EVs in Britain is now 8,740 miles, which is 444 miles further than petrol cars, analysis of January figures shows
The data reveals that since April 2023 – when the average electric car annual mileage total was 7,895 miles, some 358 more than petrols – EVs have typically been covering longer distances than their combustion-engine equivalents.
Experts attribute the increase in average EV mileage to ‘rapidly improving technology in EVs and less range anxiety’ and ‘boosted accessibility to more public and domestic charge points in recent years’.
They also point to the impact of the vastly expanding choice and availability of electric models as we edge closer to the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars.
Some 10 years ago, the EVs on sale in Britain were predominantly small cars with equally limited batteries providing short ranges in the region of 100 to 150 miles at best.
Today, you can order a car in any segment – from tiny urban-only quadricycles to executive family saloons, large SUVs, affordable roadsters and even hypercars – exclusively with battery power.
And those with the biggest batteries are now capable of covering almost 500 miles on a single charge.
In 2015, data suggests the typical EV driver was covering 2,888 fewer miles per year than owners of petrol cars. A decade later, electric vehicle users annually do 444 miles more
The study suggests range anxiety is rapidly becoming a concern of the past as EV owners are making use of a growing charging network
But as well as the increasing mileage of EVs, there has been a decline in petrol car use in general over the last ten years.
The research suggests the typical unleaded-fuelled passenger car in the UK is driven 617 fewer miles on average than in 2015 – a decline of 7 per cent.
And looking at cars across all fuel types, typical annual mileage is down 12 per cent in a decade.
Solera cap hpi says this can be linked to the pandemic exacerbating a ‘long-term downward trend in mileage’ and resulting changes to work patterns, including increased remote working, which has drastically cut commuting mileage.
Improved public transport options and a growing awareness of environmental concerns have also led to big shifts in travel habits, and the rise of online shopping and digital services has decreased the necessity for frequent car trips, contributing to the overall reduction in miles driven.
Rising fuel prices, insurance premiums and servicing and maintenance bills have also likely restricted vehicle use in recent years, especially as people have looked to cut costs during the cost-of-living squeeze.
Solera cap hpi says typical EV mileage has jumped 38% in a decade, which is partly down to the introduction of newer electric cars with far longer ranges. Mercedes this month revealed its new CLA that can cover almost 500 miles on a single charge
Dylan Setterfield, Solera HPI’s head of forecast strategy, said: ‘Our data reveals that people in the UK are driving increasingly fewer miles now than they were 10 years ago.
‘It also shows that EV motorists now travel further in their cars than drivers of petrol cars and have been doing so consistently for almost two years.
‘By generating average mileage data such as this for the whole of the UK, Solera cap hpi is helping motorists to get the full picture of how car use is changing in line with advancing technology, rising fuel costs, growing environmental awareness and how we have generally become less reliant on cars.
‘The data indicates that the changes in driving habits are likely to be long-lasting, reflecting that people’s day-to-day lives now involve less driving than they used to.’