EV drivers travelling further than petrol and diesel motorists

A Nissan survey has shown that on average, electric vehicle drivers are annually travelling over 370 miles further than European internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers.

Indeed EV drivers are totalling on average more than 8,823 miles yearly, while their ICE driver counterparts are averaging 8,450 miles yearly.

“This research reiterates that electric driving is not only a smart option beneficial to the environment but also a fun, exciting and convenient choice for the owners. It is no surprise that people now drive EV further than ICE cars. We are confident that with more EV on the road dispelling myths, range anxiety will soon be in the past,” said Arnaud Charpentier, Region Vice President, Product Strategy and Pricing, Nissan AMIEO.

Reassuringly, the majority (69 per cent) of EV drivers are happy with the current charging infrastructure available. Likewise, almost a quarter (23%) say the most common myth surrounding EV driving is that the current charging infrastructure cannot cope, indicating high satisfaction in existing EV drivers, and a positive opportunity for future adopters.

Almost half (47 per cent) of ICE drivers say the main advantage of a petrol or diesel car is greater range autonomy. Likewise, when looking into the reasons behind the 30% of ICE drivers who are unlikely to consider a fully electric vehicle, the majority (58%) said the biggest concern is that EVs have low driving range autonomy.

Further exploration into factors that would convince drivers to switch unsurprisingly greater range (38 per cent), ease of charging (32 per cent) and having a better charging infrastructure (30 per cent).

However, despite these results, drawing comparison with those who have already converted to an electric car, EV drivers confidently counteract these fears. 70% of existing EV drivers note their experience of range has been better than they expected. These findings serve as a strong indication to ICE drivers that range should not be a deterring factor for switching to an EV.

The survey also uncovers a strong disconnect surrounding charging and infrastructure from those EV drivers who currently utilise the facilities, and the impression of those ICE drivers yet to benefit from them, highlighting starkly different viewpoints.

56% of ICE drivers who are not considering an EV believe there are not enough charging points, 56% think they are more expensive to buy than their petrol/diesel equivalent, and 48% suggest there is not enough public charging infrastructure.

However, over a quarter of EV motorists say that running out of charge (28%), charging time (30%) and EVs being expensive (31%) are amongst the biggest myths of EV driving, implying that charging and infrastructure are sufficiently developed.