Comparing travel behavior of EV and ICEV drivers and households in England

• EV drivers travel longer distances and durations than their ICEV counterparts. • Extension of travel demand is not significant for EV households. • EV drivers have more education/leisure trips, suggesting possible task reallocation. • EV use is linked to lower bus use, risking public transportation undermining. • Policies should target both individuals and households to ensure sustainable EV use. Anticipating the large-scale electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the UK and beyond, understanding the travel behavior of EV and internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) users has been a key research topic. While existing studies tend to compare EV and ICEV usage at either the individual or household level, systematic comparisons that simultaneously consider both levels and their potential interactions remain limited. Using England National Travel Survey data series (2010–2019 and 2022–2023), we compare travel behavior of 1,555 EV drivers and 1,363 corresponding EV households to their ICEV counterparts. Tobit model results show longer travel distance and duration for individual EV drivers but not for EV households compared to their ICEV counterparts, which implies intra-household mechanisms may moderate the extension travel demand. EV drivers and households are associated with lower bus usage, highlighting the policy challenge of promoting EV uptake without undermining public transportation and entrenching car dependence.