Are Electric Cars Good For Long Commutes?

Last Updated on July 20, 2023

Electric cars are supposedly the way of the future, and allegedly a lot more green than your typical gasoline-fueled cars. In many ways, they are better than conventional cars, but what about when it comes to long-range driving? Are electric cars good for long commutes?

Well, it really depends on what you consider a “long” commute. That said, your average electric car battery has an approximate range of 193 miles on one charge. Also there are over 108,000 public charging ports in the US. That’s nearly one charge port for every gas station in the US. So are electric cars good for long commutes? Yes, most electric cars would be good for long commutes.

Still, it all depends on many factors, including the range of the electric car, the distance you have to drive, and whether or not you have easy access to charging stations. We’ll cover such factors in this post.

Electric Cars Versus Gasoline Cars

Obviously, the main difference between these two types of vehicles is how they are fueled. There is a tradeoff between the two methods as well. Most notably, electric cars are cheaper to fuel than their gasoline counterparts (especially with recent gas prices), but they also have significantly less range.

As mentioned previously, the average modern electric car has a range of 149 miles on a single charge. Meanwhile, your average modern gasoline vehicle tends to get 300+ miles on one tank of gas. Some can even get more than 400 miles on one tank.

This obviously means that gasoline cars are better for extremely long drives, like something cross country. But most people don’t have a daily commute that requires distance like that, so it’s not a huge factor for how good an electric car is for a long commute.

What Do You Consider a “Long” Commute?

Everyone has different definitions of “long.” One person may consider a thirty-minute commute as a long one, while someone else may not consider a commute as “long” unless it is more than an hour. What you personally consider “long” in this scenario is a major factor in whether or not an electric car is a good fit for you.

What you really need to take into consideration is how far your commute is in miles, and how many miles per charge an electric vehicle is rated for. Overall, it’s actually quite simple to make this judgment. Let’s say that, round trip, your commute was 80 miles. If you had an electric vehicle rated for 100 miles per charge, it could easily make that every day.

As long as your electric vehicle is capable of a fair deal more mileage on one charge than your commute requires, we can safely say that an electric vehicle is “good” for a long commute. And of course, there are many different electric cars out there, some of which have better range than others, but almost all of them can get 100+ miles on one charge.

If you really wanted to, you could get a more advanced electric vehicle, which is more expensive but could even go as far as 300+ miles on one charge. Needless to say, that would cover nearly any commute.

Is an Electric Car a Better Choice?

OK, so an electric car may be good for your long commute. But is it actually better than a gasoline car? After all, a gasoline car could make your long commute as well. Truth is, in most scenarios, an electric car is a better choice because it is less expensive to drive.

Studies show that electric vehicle owners save about 60% on fuel costs compared to combustion vehicle owners. Needless to say, that is a lot of money every year! Keep in mind that this statistic was before fuel prices shot up this past year, so you may be able to save even more.

Now, there’s no denying that an electric vehicle costs more to buy than a combustion engine vehicle upfront. In fact, it can be a lot more expensive in some cases. But generally speaking, it will actually be more cost-effective in the long run, considering the price of fuel over the years.

If you drive a combustion engine vehicle now, just try to calculate how much you spend on fuel every year. If you can actually come up with a number for that, first, recoil at how large it is. Then imagine it being slashed in half. That’s why an electric vehicle would be good for your long commute.

Final Thoughts: Are Electric Cars Good For Long Commutes

If you have a long commute, an electric car may be the perfect option for you. They’re cheaper to operate and maintain than gas cars and you will save money on gas.

With advances in technology, electric cars are becoming more reliable and have a longer range than ever before. So if you’re looking to go green or want to save some cash at the pump, an electric car may be just what you need.