EVs driven further in UK than petrol models, research shows

UK data and services company Solera cap hpi says its vehicle lifecycle management research shows that motorists are driving further in electric vehicles (EVs) every year than drivers of petrol cars. 

New findings show that in January 2015, the average EV travelled 10,227.38km per year, 3,682km less than an average petrol car. A decade later, in January 2025, the average annual mileage of an EV has increased to 14,065km per year, 715km more than the petrol average. 

Solera cap hpi partly attributes the reason for the increase in EV mileage over petrol vehicles to the rapidly improving technology in EVs and less range anxiety amongst drivers, boosted by the accessibility of more public and domestic charge points in recent years. There is also some effect from the vastly improved choice of electric models, which was originally limited to smaller cars.

The data also points to several reasons for the falling mileage figures of petrol cars. The pandemic exacerbated the long-term downward trend in mileage, with average annual mileage falling 12% over the last 10 years.

Changes in work patterns, including increased remote working, have reduced the need for daily commutes. Improved public transport options and a growing awareness of environmental concerns have led to big shifts in travel habits, and the rise of online shopping and digital services has also decreased the necessity for frequent car trips, contributing to the overall reduction in miles driven.

Dylan Setterfield, Solera cap 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.

“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,” Setterfield said.