Workplace Charging Increases VMT of Plug-in Vehicles in the EV Project
February 8, 2016
The EV Project conducted by Idaho National Laboratory showed that plug-in vehicle owners with access to workplace charging (WPC) had higher vehicle miles of travel (VMT) than those without. The Chevrolet Volts and Nissan Leafs with WPC increased their all-electric VMT or eVMT by about 25%. The Chevrolet Volts without WPC averaged about 74% of their overall VMT on electricity. Those with WPC averaged an additional 2,336 miles on electricity and eVMT rose to 83% of their overall VMT. The bottom bar of the graph shows the national average annual VMT for vehicles during their first three years which is comparable to the vehicle ages in the study. With WPC, the overall VMT for the Chevrolet Volts in the study exceeded the national average annual VMT for vehicles in their first three years.
Average Annual Miles per Vehicle for Vehicles in the EV Project Compared to National Averages
Average Annual Miles per Vehicle for Vehicles in the EV Project Compared to National Averages
| Vehicle Type and Charging Access | Annual Miles per Vehicle Using Only Electricity | Annual Miles per Vehicle Using Electricity and/or Gasoline | Annual Miles per Vehicle for All Light-Duty Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Nissan Leafs | 9,697 | ||
| Nissan Leafs with WPC access | 11,882 | ||
| All Chevrolet Volts | 9,112 | 12,238 | |
| Chevrolet Volts with WPC access | 11,448 | 13,759 | |
| National Average of All Light-Duty Vehicles | 11,346 | ||
| National Average for a Vehicle's First Three Years | 12,996 |
Sources
- Leafs and Volts: Idaho National Laboratory, Plugged In: How Americans Charge Their Electric Vehicles, INL/EXT-15-35584, 2015.
- National Average of All Light-Duty Vehicles: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics 2013, Table VM-1, 2014.
- National Average for a Vehicle's First Three Years: U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Safety Administration, Vehicle Survivability and Travel Mileage Schedules, DOT HS 809 952, January 2006.