Electrification
Visualizing the Range of Electric Cars vs. Gas-Powered Cars
The Range of Electric Cars vs. Gas-Powered Cars
EV adoption has grown rapidly in recent years, but many prospective buyers still have doubts about electric car ranges.
In fact, 33% of new car buyers chose range anxiety—the concern about how far an EV can drive on a full charge—as their top inhibitor to purchasing electric cars in a survey conducted by EY.
So, how far can the average electric car go on one charge, and how does that compare with the typical range of gas-powered cars?
The Rise in EV Ranges
Thanks to improvements in battery technology, the average range of electric cars has more than doubled over the last decade, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Year | Avg. EV Range | Maximum EV Range |
---|---|---|
2010 | 79 miles (127 km) | N/A |
2011 | 86 miles (138 km) | 94 miles (151 km) |
2012 | 99 miles (159 km) | 265 miles (426 km) |
2013 | 117 miles (188 km) | 265 miles (426 km) |
2014 | 130 miles (209 km) | 265 miles (426 km) |
2015 | 131 miles (211 km) | 270 miles (435 km) |
2016 | 145 miles (233 km) | 315 miles (507 km) |
2017 | 151 miles (243 km) | 335 miles (539 km) |
2018 | 189 miles (304 km) | 335 miles (539 km) |
2019 | 209 miles (336 km) | 370 miles (595 km) |
2020 | 210 miles (338 km) | 402 miles (647 km) |
2021 | 217 miles (349 km) | 520 miles* (837 km) |
*Max range for EVs offered in the United States.
Source: IEA, U.S. DOE
As of 2021, the average battery-powered EV could travel 217 miles (349 km) on a single charge. It represents a 44% increase from 151 miles (243 km) in 2017 and a 152% increase relative to a decade ago.
Despite the steady growth, EVs still fall short when compared to gas-powered cars. For example, in 2021, the median gas car range (on one full tank) in the U.S. was around 413 miles (664 km)—nearly double what the average EV would cover.
As automakers roll out new models, electric car ranges are likely to continue increasing and could soon match those of their gas-powered counterparts. It’s important to note that EV ranges can change depending on external conditions.
What Affects EV Ranges?
In theory, EV ranges depend on battery capacity and motor efficiency, but real-world results can vary based on several factors:
- Weather: At temperatures below 20℉ (-6.7℃), EVs can lose around 12% of their range, rising to 41% if heating is turned on inside the vehicle.
- Operating Conditions: Thanks to regenerative braking, EVs may extend their maximum range during city driving.
- Speed: When driving at high speeds, EV motors spin faster at a less efficient rate. This may result in range loss.
On the contrary, when driven at optimal temperatures of about 70℉ (21.5℃), EVs can exceed their rated range, according to an analysis by Geotab.
The 10 Longest-Range Electric Cars in America
Here are the 10 longest-range electric cars available in the U.S. as of 2022, based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) range estimates:
Car | Range On One Full Charge | Estimated Base Price |
---|---|---|
Lucid Air | 520 miles (837 km) | $170,500 |
Tesla Model S | 405 miles (652 km) | $106,190 |
Tesla Model 3 | 358 miles (576 km) | $59,440 |
Mercedes EQS | 350 miles (563 km) | $103,360 |
Tesla Model X | 348 miles (560 km) | $122,440 |
Tesla Model Y | 330 miles (531 km) | $67,440 |
Hummer EV | 329 miles (529 km) | $110,295 |
BMW iX | 324 miles (521 km) | $84,195 |
Ford F-150 Lightning | 320 miles (515 km) | $74,169 |
Rivian R1S | 316 miles (509 km) | $70,000 |
Source: Car and Driver
The top-spec Lucid Air offers the highest range of any EV with a price tag of $170,500, followed by the Tesla Model S. But the Tesla Model 3 offers the most bang for your buck if range and price are the only two factors in consideration.
Electrification
How EV Adoption Will Impact Oil Consumption (2015-2025P)
How much oil is saved by adding electric vehicles into the mix? We look at data from 2015 to 2025P for different types of EVs.

The EV Impact on Oil Consumption
As the world moves towards the electrification of the transportation sector, demand for oil will be replaced by demand for electricity.
To highlight the EV impact on oil consumption, the above infographic shows how much oil has been and will be saved every day between 2015 and 2025 by various types of electric vehicles, according to BloombergNEF.
How Much Oil Do Electric Vehicles Save?
A standard combustion engine passenger vehicle in the U.S. uses about 10 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) per year. A motorcycle uses 1, a Class 8 truck about 244, and a bus uses more than 276 BOEs per year.
When these vehicles become electrified, the oil their combustion engine counterparts would have used is no longer needed, displacing oil demand with electricity.
Since 2015, two and three-wheeled vehicles, such as mopeds, scooters, and motorcycles, have accounted for most of the oil saved from EVs on a global scale. With a wide adoption in Asia specifically, these vehicles displaced the demand for almost 675,000 barrels of oil per day in 2015. By 2021, this number had quickly grown to 1 million barrels per day.
Let’s take a look at the daily displacement of oil demand by EV segment.
Number of barrels saved per day, 2015 | Number of barrels saved per day, 2025P | |
---|---|---|
Electric Passenger Vehicles | 8,600 | 886,700 |
Electric Commercial Vehicles | 0 | 145,000 |
Electric Buses | 43,100 | 333,800 |
Electric Two & Three-Wheelers | 674,300 | 1,100,000 |
Total Oil Barrels Per Day | 726,000 | 2,465,500 |
Today, while work is being done in the commercial vehicle segment, very few large trucks on the road are electric—however, this is expected to change by 2025.
Meanwile, electric passenger vehicles have shown the biggest growth in adoption since 2015.
In 2022, the electric car market experienced exponential growth, with sales exceeding 10 million cars. The market is expected to continue its strong growth throughout 2023 and beyond, eventually coming to save a predicted 886,700 barrels of oil per day in 2025.
From Gas to Electric
While the world shifts from fossil fuels to electricity, BloombergNEF predicts that the decline in oil demand does not necessarily equate to a drop in oil prices.
In the event that investments in new supply capacity decrease more rapidly than demand, oil prices could still remain unstable and high.
The shift toward electrification, however, will likely have other implications.
While most of us associate electric vehicles with lower emissions, it’s good to consider that they are only as sustainable as the electricity used to charge them. The shift toward electrification, then, presents an incredible opportunity to meet the growing demand for electricity with clean energy sources, such as wind, solar and nuclear power.
The shift away from fossil fuels in road transport will also require expanded infrastructure. EV charging stations, expanded transmission capacity, and battery storage will likely all be key to supporting the wide-scale transition from gas to electricity.
Electrification
Graphite: An Essential Material in the Battery Supply Chain
Graphite represents almost 50% of the materials needed for batteries by weight, no matter the chemistry.

Graphite: An Essential Material in the Battery Supply Chain
The demand for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has skyrocketed in recent years due to the increasing popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems.
What many people don’t realize, however, is that the key component of these batteries is not just lithium, but also graphite.
Graphite represents almost 50% of the materials needed for batteries by weight, regardless of the chemistry. In Li-ion batteries specifically, graphite makes up the anode, which is the negative electrode responsible for storing and releasing electrons during the charging and discharging process.
To explore just how essential graphite is in the battery supply chain, this infographic sponsored by Northern Graphite dives into how the anode of a Li-ion battery is made.
What is Graphite?
Graphite is a naturally occurring form of carbon that is used in a wide range of industrial applications, including in synthetic diamonds, EV Li-ion batteries, pencils, lubricants, and semiconductor substrates.
It is stable, high-performing, and reusable. While it comes in many different grades and forms, battery-grade graphite falls into one of two classes: natural or synthetic.
Natural graphite is produced by mining naturally occurring mineral deposits. This method produces only one to two kilograms of CO2 emissions per kilogram of graphite.
Synthetic graphite, on the other hand, is produced by the treatment of petroleum coke and coal tar, producing nearly 5 kg of CO2 per kilogram of graphite along with other harmful emissions such as sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide.
A Closer Look: How Graphite Turns into a Li-ion Battery Anode
The battery anode production process is composed of four overarching steps. These are:
- Mining
- Shaping
- Purifying
- Coating
Each of these stages results in various forms of graphite with different end-uses.
For instance, the micronized graphite that results from the shaping process can be used in plastic additives. On the other hand, only coated spherical purified graphite that went through all four of the above stages can be used in EV Li-ion batteries.
The Graphite Supply Chain
Despite its growing use in the energy transition all around the world, around 70% of the world’s graphite currently comes from China.
With scarce alternatives to be used in batteries, however, achieving supply security in North America is crucial, and it is using more environmentally friendly approaches to graphite processing.
With a lower environmental footprint and lower production costs, natural graphite serves as the anode material for a greener future.
Click here to learn more about how Northern Graphite plans to build the largest Battery Anode Material (BAM) plant in North America.
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