Electric vehicle owners travel further than those driving petrol or diesel cars, study finds

A study in the United Kingdom has found electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle owners travel further in the space of a week than those driving petrol- and diesel-powered cars.

According to the new research by Peugeot, a study of 1800 UK drivers involved a proportionate mix of electric, hybrid, petrol and diesel owners, and found the electric and plug-in hybrid cohort cover an average of 175km each week compared to just 142km per week for petrol and diesel owners.

It was plug-in hybrid drivers who travelled the furthest of all, covering 204km on average each week, while drivers of diesel vehicles travelled 151km, battery-electric vehicle drivers travelled 146km each week, and drivers of petrol-engined vehicles travelled the least, covering 130km each week on average.

Importantly, less than a fifth (18 per cent) of petrol and diesel drivers said they completed more than 320km on average in a week, meaning most petrol and diesel respondents would be able to make their weekly travel work on a single charge of most electric vehicles.

For example, the Peugeot e-208 city car has an electric range of 349km from its 50kWh battery and the Nissan Leaf e+ small car can travel 385km before needing a recharge for its 62kWh battery.

Despite these findings, results show that range anxiety is still a considerable concern for internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers thinking of making the switch to an electric vehicle.

More than one third (36 per cent) say electric range is the biggest factor stopping them from making the switch, while cost (53 per cent) and a lack of public charging infrastructure (43 per cent) were the other leading factors.

The research was completed ahead of the expansion of the UK’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which allows electric vehicle owners to be exempt from paying congestion charges in populous London boroughs.