New data highlights EVs are clocking up more miles than petrol cars

Solera cap hpi, the global leader in vehicle lifecycle management, reveals that motorists are driving further in electric vehicles (EVs) every year than drivers of petrol cars. 

New findings from automotive data experts Solera cap hpi show that in January 2015, the average EV travelled 6,355 miles per year, 2,288 miles less than an average petrol car. A decade later, in January 2025, the average annual mileage of an EV has increased to 8,740 miles per year, 444 miles more than the petrol average. 

The data reveals that since April 2023, when the average EV annual mileage total was 7,895 miles – 358 more than petrol cars, the number of EV miles has been more than for petrol cars every month since.

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 impact 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 ten 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, comments: “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.”