The vast majority of UK drivers travel fewer than 15,000 miles per year by car, according to new analysis of MOT test data.

Field dynamics found that just 4.5% of vehicles cover more than 15,000 miles per year, or 41 miles per day.

Ben Allan, managing director of Field Dynamics, believes these figures are particularly important to consider when planning electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure:

He said: “This annual mileage per vehicle data provides a really valuable insight. Over half the vehicles in Great Britain travel less than 100 miles per week. As most electric vehicles have a range of over 200 miles then this suggest that planning for a once a fortnightly charge could be a good option for most people.”

While the average national mileage is low, the difference between vehicle types is significant and shows the need to differentiate between usage types.  The report shows that while a local car such as Ford Fiesta only averages 4,694 miles per year, an Audi A6’s average mileage is 63% higher and a Ford Transit is 101% higher.  This suggests the need for focussed charging services.

Field Dynamics also found that geographically, vehicles in the North drive 385 miles more per year than vehicles in the South. Greater London has an interesting distribution of vehicle mileage too with the most high milers (5.2% drive over 15,000 miles) and low milers (59% drive under 5,000 miles) compared with all other regions.

A recent study of MOT data by leading net zero data consultancy Field Dynamics has found that only 4.5% of vehicles were driven over 15,000 miles in 2021.

Overall mileage has been consistently dropping year-on-year. In 2021, vehicles in Great Britain have averaged just 5,506 miles annually. This means that 57% of vehicles are consistently traveling less than 100 miles each week.

Field Dynamics created their GB MOT Mileage Report by analysing millions of Class 4 MOT records from the past four years to create a hyper accurate view of average vehicle mileage across England, Scotland, and Wales.