Tesla owners travel more miles in their cars than owners of other EVs, according to new iSeeCars data analysis.
According to the analysis, all four Tesla models are delivering an above-average amount of fuel for electric vehicles, but still not as much as average for gasoline vehicles. As with other insights into iSeeCars data, it is based on posted information about vehicles for sale—so people who keep their cars for a long time can falsify data in one direction or another.
However, the data presented here leads to some confusing math. According to the analysis, electric cars cost an average of 47% more than internal combustion cars, but 29% less.
2023 Tesla Model S – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
This is based on findings several years ago by a group of academic researchers—that electric cars are often driven much less frequently than gas cars, but Most Motivated Teslas. That could pose a problem for EV advocates making arguments to get drivers of gasoline-powered cars to make the switch.
The cost advantage of EV ownership is often calculated based on how many miles you drive over a gas vehicle. For example, a 2022 analysis from the Zero Emissions Transport Association (ZETA) stated that the cost of driving a gasoline-powered vehicle is six times higher than that of an electric vehicle, based on a comparison of gas prices and electricity costs. over the same driving miles.
2023 Tesla Model 3
The math is different for an EV with a higher purchase price than for a comparable gas-powered car that is also less driven, making it harder for owners to realize those cost savings. And as has been emphasized in the past, these Cost of ownership can vary widelyso they are not always an accurate predictor of savings.
Another approach, advocated by climate group Coltura, is to build EV policy around the so-called “gasoline superusers” who are responsible for excessive gasoline consumption. Target the drivers who use the most gas can help the most, Coltura argued. With gas prices volatile, those super-users are also more likely to benefit from the cost savings of electric vehicles.
