American drivers like everything supersized: spacious SUVs, hulking pickup trucks, the wide open road. It only makes sense, now that everything is going electric, that they also demand the world’s biggest batteries.
The average electric car sold in the US is fast approaching 300 miles between charges, according to a Bloomberg analysis of more than a decade of EV sales. Last year’s average range climbed to 291 miles, putting the US average above all other major car markets and a third higher than the global average.
America’s distaste for small vehicles is so great that automakers don’t even attempt to import many of their popular low-range models, such as the Fiat 500e city car — Europe’s fourth best-selling EV — or China’s top-selling EV, the Hongguang Mini.
The typical US battery range has quadrupled since 2011, when the only widely available EV was the Nissan Leaf with just 73 miles per charge. Today there are nearly 50 EV models on offer in the US, and the longest-range option is the Lucid Air Grand Touring with 19-inch wheels and an estimated range of 516 miles.
To determine the US range average, Bloomberg weighted sales by model using the average US Environmental Protection Agency range across available trims. Global figures come from the International Energy Agency, which came up with a weighted average using the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Compared to EPA ratings, WLTP tends to provide slightly longer ranges, though for some vehicles the reverse is true.
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