Are electric vehicles better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles?

I'll compare the environmental impact of electric and gas-powered vehicles — starting with lifecycle emissions and key factors.

Yes, research generally finds electric vehicles (EVs) are better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles over their full lifecycle, but with important caveats.

1. Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

> FACT: The greenhouse gas emissions associated with an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than those from an average gasoline-powered vehicle, even when accounting for manufacturing.

> FACT: Electric vehicles (EVs) typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars, even when accounting for the electricity used for charging

•The International Council On Clean Transportation released a study in 2021 that found that electric vehicles "have by far the lowest lifecycle GHG emissions" compared to other powertrains

•Over the course of their driving lifetimes, EVs will create fewer carbon emissions than gasoline-burning cars under nearly any conditions.

•Electric cars are actually much, much better in terms of the impact on the climate in comparison to internal combustion vehicles.

•BloombergNEF analysis found that in five regions including the US, China, Germany, UK and Japan, the lifecycle CO2 emissions of a medium-sized BEV manufactured today and driven for 250,000 kilometers (155,000 miles) would be 27-71% lower than those of equivalent ICE vehicles.

2. Why Manufacturing Looks Worse at First

Some studies have shown that making a typical EV can create more carbon pollution than making a gasoline car. This is because of the additional energy required to manufacture an EV's battery.

•But new research says building electric vehicles leaves a bigger carbon footprint than making gas-powered cars.

•For example, researchers at Argonne National Laboratory estimated emissions for both a gasoline car and an EV with a 300-mile electric range. In their estimates, while GHG emissions from EV manufacturing and end-of-life are higher, total GHGs for the EV are still lower than those for the gasoline car.

•Initially, CO2 emissions linked to electric cars are around 30% higher than those of gas-powered cars because of environmental impacts linked to battery production.

•After that, electric vehicles emit significantly less CO2 than internal combustion vehicles, particularly when considering how long a typical car stays in service.

The "breakeven" point where the EV makes up for its higher manufacturing emissions is relatively short:

•An average EV produced in the U.S. in 2023 will close the gap in about 2.2 years or 25,000 miles, according to analysis released Monday by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

•After 2 years, the cumulative emissions of the electric vehicles go down because operation-based emissions are almost negligible

Recycling EV batteries can reduce the emissions associated with making an EV by reducing the need for new materials.

3. Why Operation Is Cleaner

•Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions.

•They don't produce the emissions that come from the combustion of gasoline, that contribute to climate change, and the other is particulate emissions, small particles that are leftover when we burn gasoline, that can be very harmful to human health

A major reason is efficiency:

•EVs use approximately 87%–91% of the energy from the battery and regenerative braking to propel the vehicle. Gasoline vehicles only convert about 16–25% of the energy from gasoline into movement

4. Electricity Source Matters

Generating the electricity used to charge EVs, however, may create carbon pollution. The amount varies widely based on how local power is generated

•An electric vehicle is only as green as the electricity that goes into it.

•The vision for electric vehicles into the future — and the opportunity — is that as the grid gets greener, those electric cars that are already on the road will continue to get greener

Even on today's grid:

•Even accounting for these electricity emissions, research shows that an EV is typically responsible for lower levels of greenhouse gases than an average new gasoline car.

•To the extent that more renewable energy sources like wind and solar are used to generate electricity, the total GHGs associated with EVs could be even lower.

•An electric vehicle running on coal has the fuel economy equivalent in the order of about 50 to 60 miles per gallon. [...] an electric vehicle that's running on a really clean electricity supply [...] the fuel economy equivalent — the MPGE is [...] up into the hundreds, so 110, 120 miles per gallon.

5. Other Environmental Costs of EVs

EVs are not zero-impact:

•Mining and refining battery materials can cause land disturbance, water depletion, waste, air and water pollution, and impacts on ecosystems and nearby communities.

•The process of extracting lithium consumes significant amounts of water and energy, and lithium mining can pollute the air and water with chemicals and heavy metals.

Concerns also include habitat disruption, soil erosion, and social issues around cobalt, nickel and lithium extraction, though impacts vary substantially with the deposit, extraction process, energy supply and environmental safeguards.

Bottom Line

For climate change, the consensus from the U.S. EPA, Argonne National Laboratory, MIT, and BloombergNEF is that EVs have lower total lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than comparable gasoline cars, despite higher emissions to build the battery. The advantage grows the longer you drive and as the electricity grid adds more renewables. However, if the electricity is heavily coal-dependent, the benefit is smaller, and battery mining and manufacturing do have significant environmental impacts that need to be managed through cleaner mining, recycling, and responsible sourcing.

Citations (2)

1epa.govGovernment
Electric Vehicle Myths | US EPA
Backs: “Yes, research generally finds electric vehicles (EVs) are better for the environment than gas-powered vehicles over their full lifecycle, but with important caveats. 1. Lifecycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions. FACT: The greenhouse gas emissions associated with an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than…”
2mit.eduAcademic
Are electric vehicles definitely better for the climate than gas-powered cars?
Backs: “Recycling EV batteries can reduce the emissions associated with making an EV by reducing the need for new materials. 3. Why Operation Is Cleaner. Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions. They don't produce the emissions that come from the combustion of gasoline, that contribute to climate change, and the other is…”