Electric Cars Now Outdrive Combustion Engine Vehicles – And There's No Turning Back

Back in 2015, the story was quite different: the average electric car covered about 10,225 kilometres per year, while internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles racked up 13,911 kilometres annually. EVs were still seen as quirky city cars, ideal for short hops to the grocery store but hardly cut out for the open road.

Fast forward to today, and the tables have well and truly turned. According to a recent study from UK-based vehicle data firm Solera cap hpi, electric vehicles now clock in at an average of 14,066 kilometres per year, compared to just 13,351 kilometres for their petrol- and diesel-powered counterparts. That’s a 714-kilometre lead in favour of EVs – a margin few would have predicted a decade ago.

The reason? Simple – technology has sprinted ahead. The charging infrastructure is no longer just a couple of lonely plugs behind a supermarket. Range anxiety? Practically obsolete. And the days when EVs came only in the shape and size of a roller skate are long gone. Today, you can comfortably drive your EV to work, the supermarket, the summer house – even Saaremaa – without desperately scanning parking lots for a socket.

As for combustion-engine vehicles? The pandemic gave them a solid punch to the gut. Remote work, Zoom calls, improved public transport, growing environmental awareness, and the rise of online shopping all played their part. People simply aren’t driving as much anymore. In fact, average annual mileage for ICE cars has dropped by 12% over the past decade. And no, not because the cars have broken down – but because, frankly, people just can’t be bothered to drive everywhere like they used to.