1 Billion Miles Later: What Our Data Really Says About EVs

Only 75,000 used battery electric cars sold in 2019, the year that we started working on Recurrent. Flash forward to today, the used EV market has grown 5X and is poised for dynamic growth in 2026. 

Over the past 5 years, we've observed over 1 billion miles of real-world driving and charging data from over 50,000 vehicles to create the largest cross-manufacturer EV dataset in the industry. Combined with data from our work with dealers, marketplaces, auctions, and OEMs, we've learned an incredible amount about how EVs actually perform in the real world.

Here's what that billion miles taught us.

Real-world range often beats EPA estimates

Over half of EV shoppers don't trust EPA range estimates, and they're right to be skeptical. For many EVs, real-world range actually exceeds EPA range when new and stays that way for years. But the EPA doesn't account for winter performance differences between brands or age-related range loss, leaving dealers and buyers in the dark.

That's why we’re calculating driving ranges from millions of real-world trips across the US. 

Battery degradation isn't the problem people think it is

Most electric cars are maintaining their range longer than people expect. Even vehicles with over 150,000 miles hold up remarkably well. Modern EVs have a battery replacement rate of just 0.3%.

Recurrent is in a position to say with confidence: the battery anxiety doesn't match the battery reality.

The gap between headlines and data

You've seen the recent EV headlines. The story the data tells is completely different from the story you're reading. Quarterly new EV sales data shows step-function growth with barely any year-over-year decreases since we started the company — and all of those new EV sales translate into future growth in the used market.

That gap matters. It creates an echo chamber where decision-makers justify putting off investments in an EV future. But we're seeing more retail leaders look at the actual market data and say: "It's time to go big here. We need to lead, not follow."

What's next

One billion miles is a milestone worth celebrating — a huge shoutout to our incredible team. 

But it's also just the beginning. 

Every mile makes our insights sharper, our predictions more accurate, and our tools more valuable for everyone navigating this market.

A once-in-a-hundred years transition is still flowing through the automotive ecosystem as the electric transition continues. The companies that stay focused on the change are the ones that will thrive in the long-term. Recurrent is proud to partner with them.