Yahoo Autos EV range anxiety? Gas vehicles dwarf EVs on the average number of miles driven
Americans bought EVs in record numbers last year, with Cox Automotive reporting 1.2 million sales in 2023. They still only make up a single-digit percentage of the overall auto market here, and they are clearly being used in ways that are different from gasoline-powered cars. A recent study from iSeeCars found that gas vehicles saw the most mileage between November 2022 and April 2023, with EVs being driven the least.
Americans drove gas cars an average of 12,813 miles during that period, the most of any fuel type iSeeCars studied. In order, the average number of annual miles for three-year-old vehicles per fuel type:
EVs: 10,256 miles
Plug-In Hybrids: 12,199
Hybrids: 12,471
Gas: 12,813
Executive analyst Karl Brauer cited the limited charging infrastructure and range anxiety as contributing factors to the lower EV mileage number. Also, buyers are more likely to choose an EV specifically to be used for short-haul duties around town, where constant stop and go provides regeneration opportunities, and its more limited range is not a hindrance. Brauer noted that the gas engines in hybrids and plug-in hybrids add to their flexibility and appeal, landing them much closer to gas cars on miles driven.