EV drivers plan to journey more than petrol counterparts

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the UK are looking to journey over 10,000 miles a year, more than their petrol or diesel-driving counterparts.

That’s according to vehicle home charger and energy comparison site Rightcharge.co.uk. Customers searching on the site for the most economical home charging tariff are looking to travel 10,948 miles a year.

In comparison, a study released by the RAC in 2020 showed petrol-powered vehicles are now completing an average of just 7,490, whereas pure electric cars are completing an average of 9,435 miles per year in the first three years.

Rightcharge.co.uk also found the average mileage expected by customers driving an EV has grown at 7% as the UK prepares for the unwinding of lockdown, suggesting EV car drivers are more confident about living with electric vehicles.

High-milers were more likely to live in the East Midlands with an annual average of 11,685 miles, closely followed by those in North West England (11,654 miles) and the West Midlands (11,496 miles). Drivers in South Scotland were expecting to cover the least ground in their EVs, with an expected annual average of 10,263 miles.

Charlie Cook, founder of Rightcharge.co.uk, says: “It is interesting that EV drivers are planning more journeys and it’s further evidence that confidence in electric vehicles is going up, with many new EVs now covering more miles each year than petrol-powered models. And what’s more, their confidence in the distance they will travel is constantly being reassessed upwards.”

“These high-mileage EVs aren’t just located in one or two regions of the UK either – our customers across all mainland areas of the country are looking to complete at least 10,000 miles a year in their battery-powered vehicles.

“I think this demonstrates that electric vehicles are now seen by many drivers as a viable alternative to petrol-powered cars. The expected yearly mileage of our customers supports this as they look to replace their current internal combustion engine vehicles with battery-powered ones.”

Image: Shutterstock.

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