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10 electric cars ranked by annual miles, and only two beat the typical gas car

Electric cars are often assumed to be used less than gas cars, and mileage data backs that up for most models. Only two of the ten ranked here beat the 13,323-mile gas-car average, and both come from one brand. The list below walks through each of the ten from most to least driven.

1. Tesla Model 3: Mileage King

Tesla Model 3 — Image Credit: Chanokchon - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Chanokchon – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Mileage data from an annual mileage report puts the Tesla Model 3 at 13,759 miles a year, which makes it the most-driven electric car in America. It is also one of only two EVs that top the 13,323-mile average for gas cars.

Owners evidently treat the Model 3 as a primary vehicle rather than a weekend second car. Its lead over the field is modest, though, and the figure describes how far people drive it, not how efficient it is. Because the average covers all owners, individual Model 3 drivers will vary widely, but the ranking leaves no doubt about which electric model leads.

2. Tesla Model Y: Family Hauler

Tesla Model Y — Image Credit: Aos.1905 - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Aos.1905 – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

The Model Y averages 13,538 miles a year in the same most-driven cars analysis, making it the second and last EV to clear the gas-car average of 13,323 miles.

Together with the Model 3, Tesla accounts for both entries that beat gas cars. The gap over the average is only a couple of hundred miles, so the Model Y edges past gasoline rather than dwarfing it. Combined with the Model 3, that gives Tesla every spot above the gas-car line.

3. Hyundai Ioniq 5: Near Miss

Hyundai Ioniq 5 — Image Credit: HJUdall - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: HJUdall – CC0/Wiki Commons

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 logs 12,271 miles a year in the mileage ranking, which sits 3.3% above the 11,880-mile EV average. That still leaves it short of the gas-car figure.

Third place shows that a non-Tesla EV can out-drive its electric peers. The roughly 1,000-mile shortfall against gas cars suggests the Ioniq 5 is used heavily but not quite as a gas-style daily workhorse. For buyers weighing range anxiety, it is a useful reminder that most electric cars see ordinary rather than extreme usage, with the average among the ten sitting under 12,000 miles.

4. Kia Niro EV: Dead Level

Kia Niro EV — Image Credit: OWS Photography - CC BY 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: OWS Photography – CC BY 4.0/Wiki Commons

Averaging 11,879 miles a year, the Kia Niro EV lands almost exactly on the 11,880-mile EV average, according to the most-driven vehicles report.

A single mile separates it from the benchmark, so it serves as a neat marker for the typical electric car. It also trails the gas-car average by more than 1,400 miles, which fits the overall pattern in the ranking. Being so close to the midpoint makes the Niro EV a handy reference point when comparing the other nine models above and below it.

5. Kia EV6: Just Below

Kia EV6 — Image Credit: Benespit - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Benespit – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

The Kia EV6 averages 11,781 miles a year, or 0.8% below the EV average, in the annual driving figures.

The shortfall is tiny, and the EV6 stays within a hair of the typical electric car. Even so, it sits more than 1,500 miles behind the typical gas car, so the broader story of lighter EV use holds here too. Its position in the middle of the ranking shows a tight cluster of EVs, with several models separated by only a few hundred miles a year.

6. Tesla Model X: Falcon Wing Mileage

Tesla Model X — Image Credit: HJUdall - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: HJUdall – CC0/Wiki Commons

At 11,656 miles a year, the Tesla Model X runs 1.9% below the EV average, per the mileage report.

Both Teslas ahead of it drive more, which leaves the Model X as the lowest-mileage Tesla on the list. The data does not say why, though the larger vehicle may simply be used differently from the sedan and crossover. Because the Model X ranks sixth, the Tesla advantage at the top does not extend to every model the company sells, a useful caveat for anyone reading the headline.

7. Hyundai Kona Electric: Small SUV Slowdown

Hyundai Kona Electric — Image Credit: Mr.choppers - CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Mr.choppers – CC BY-SA 3.0/Wiki Commons

The Hyundai Kona Electric averages 10,955 miles a year, 7.8% below the EV average, based on the published mileage data.

This is the first entry to fall clearly under the electric norm. At more than 2,300 miles behind the gas-car average, it shows how much further down the list typical EV use falls. With three models still to come below it, the Kona Electric also marks the point where the ranking starts to slide toward the bottom of the list.

8. Ford Mustang Mach-E: Pony Car Pace

Ford Mustang Mach-E — Image Credit: Automotive Rhythms - CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Automotive Rhythms – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wiki Commons

Ford’s Mustang Mach-E averages 10,914 miles a year, which is 8.1% below the EV average, the annual mileage ranking shows.

Only a few dozen miles separate it from the Kona Electric just above it. The numbers cover annual averages across owners, so the Mach-E may still be driven far more by individuals than this ranking implies. Even so, the ranking gives a clear sense of where it falls among electric peers, namely eighth among the ten most-driven EVs in the dataset.

9. Chevrolet Bolt EUV: Compact Crossover

Chevrolet Bolt EUV — Image Credit: Bull-Doser - Public domain/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Bull-Doser – Public domain/Wiki Commons

The Chevrolet Bolt EUV averages 10,783 miles a year, 9.2% below the EV average, according to the most-driven cars report.

That puts it nearly 2,540 miles behind the typical gas car. Its position near the bottom suggests that smaller, lower-priced EVs may see lighter use, although the source data does not confirm that explanation. Owners of the Bolt EUV therefore put on noticeably fewer miles than Tesla drivers, at least judging by this dataset and its annual averages. The source does not explain the gap.

10. Nissan LEAF: Last Place

Nissan LEAF — Image Credit: Cutlass - CC0/Wiki Commons
Image Credit: Cutlass – CC0/Wiki Commons

The Nissan LEAF closes the list at 10,616 miles a year, which is 10.6% below the EV average and the lowest of the ten most-driven EVs, the annual mileage analysis reports.

Despite its long history as an early mass-market EV, the LEAF logs the fewest miles here. The gap to the 13,323-mile gas-car average is roughly 2,700 miles, the widest of the ten. Its last-place finish still sits within roughly 1,300 miles of the EV average, so the spread across the whole group is relatively narrow.


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