- Electric vehicles in the UK, on average, are now clocking up a higher annual mileage than their petrol-powered counterparts, according to new data collated by Solera cap hpi.
- The average annual mileage covered by an EV in the UK has also increased every year, highlighting clear improvements to battery technology and public charging infrastructure which are giving drivers the confidence to go further.
- With solid state battery technology on the horizon, and ultra-rapid public charging growing at a fast rate, these figures could sway even further in the EV sector’s favour over the coming years.
EVs now cover more mileage than their petrol rivals in the UK
While back in January 2015, the average EV travelled 6,355 miles per year (compared to 8,643 miles per year for petrols), this difference is now a thing of the past. The trend of EVs covering more miles than petrol cars has been a growing trend in the country since April 2023, when the average annual mileage of an electric car stood at 7,895 miles – 358 miles further than the average petrol car. With that lead being maintained every month since that milestone, average EV mileage now stands at 8,740 miles a year – 444 miles further than the average petrol car covers in the same period.
For now, the average diesel car still covers more miles per year than the average EV, but with solid-state battery technology coming in the next few years, that trend could be switched also.
This improvement doesn’t come as a surprise. With significant improvements to battery technology over the past few years, many EVs on the market are now capable of travelling over 300 miles on a single charge – with some EVs now raising that to over 400 miles. That improvement has also coincided with a rapidly-growing public charging infrastructure in the UK – with the network growing a significant 37% in 2024.
Dylan Setterfield, Head of Forecast Strategy at Solera cap hpi, commented:
“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.
Comprehensive and reliable automotive insights stem from our strategic industry collaborations. By fostering partnerships across the automotive sector, we’ve secured access to an expansive and precise information network. This investment in relationships enables us to deliver accurate, trustworthy data, empowering motorists with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their vehicles and driving habits.”
