What’s the average electric car mileage?

In the same way that normal petrol and diesel cars run out of fuel, electric cars can only go so far until they run out of go-juice – in this case electricity.

Diesel cars can usually drive much further on a tank of fuel before filling up than an electric car. For example, the range of a good executive diesel can easily exceed 600 miles before refuelling, while the best electric cars can manage nearly 400 miles before electricity is required.

But range and the mileage actually driven are two different things.

Most drivers considering an electric car (EV) are understandably concerned about its potential range, given the still developing network of charging stations. But perhaps it’s more informative to look at your actual average mileage if you are considering an electric car.

Results from an investigation by the RAC Foundation, which considered the mileage recordings of cars at their first MOT date when odometer readings have to be submitted, found some interesting facts about average electric car mileage.

For example, the average mileage of a Tesla Model S was nearly as great as the average mileage on a diesel. Where new diesel cars covered an average of 12,496 miles each year, the Tesla Model S was on average just 104 miles shy of this figure.

Turning to car makes, Tesla was top of the charts with an average electric car mileage of 12,459, ahead of Mercedes-Benz at 12,100 miles; Volvo (11,578) and Ford (11,488).

So the actual EV mileage is often greater than that of petrol and diesel cars.

Other findings from the research found that the Nissan Leaf EV travelled on average 8421 miles each year, the BMW i3 travelled 7702 miles and the supermini Renault Zoe covered 5736 miles on average.

Intelligent Car Leasing runs its own Tesla, a Model 3, which we are reporting on – see Living with the Tesla Model 3. I’ve not had the car for long, but I expect to average over 8,000 miles per year (excluding the lock-down period). It’s also proving a practical proposition while relying solely on street chargers for electricity.

So if you are considering leasing a new electric car, don’t get hung up on the car’s range. What’s more important is how it fits around your own personal mileage requirements. Because as we’ve found out, potential range and average mileage are two quite different things. If you want more assistance with choosing an electric car, please call us on 0344 387 2727.