Electric cars cut lifetime emissions by 73% over ICE

EVs are far less polluting over their lifetime than petrol or diesel-powered cars, and are getting cleaner, according to new research.

A comprehensive study of vehicle lifecycle emissions by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) estimates that across their entire life, EVs in Europe emit nearly four times fewer greenhouse gases than their combustion-engined (ICE) counterparts.

The study found that even factoring in production – an area where EVs are claimed to be more polluting – EVs generate 73% less greenhouse gases than ICE over their lifetime. It also found a 24% improvement in predicted emissions compared with 2021 estimates, showing EVs are actually getting cleaner as the years progress.

This improvement is largely down to the growing adoption of renewable energy generation around Europe. The report’s authors say that cars sold now will see their environmental impact reduce further as this dependence on renewables grows. By the end of this year, renewable sources are expected to produce 56% of Europe’s electricity and the EU Joint Research Centre estimates this will reach 86% by 2045.

“Battery electric cars in Europe are getting cleaner faster than we expected and outperform all other technologies, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” said Dr. Marta Negri, researcher at the ICCT and co-author of the report. “This progress is largely due to the fast deployment of renewable electricity across the continent and the greater energy efficiency of battery electric cars.”

The ICCT report factored in vehicle production, maintenance, fuel production and fuel consumption for a medium-sized car over an average 20-year lifespan. It found that a petrol car will emit 235g/km of greenhouse gases while an EV will produce just 63g/km based on the predicted 2025-44 grid mix.

The report noted that the production impact of EVs was higher – largely due to the CO2 emitted in battery production – but estimated that this is offset by around 17,000km (10,500 miles) of driving.

The study also found that other propulsion systems did have a reduced environmental impact compared with traditional ICE cars, but the gap was far smaller than for BEVs. Plug-in hybrid cars offer 30% lower lifetime emissions than gasoline, with PHEVs found to be driven less on electricity than previously assumed. Full hybrids offered just a 20% reduction.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles also bring reductions but are heavily dependent on the type of hydrogen used. While a FCEV running on 100% “green” hydrogen can cut emissions by 79% compared with a petrol car, that is not produced or supplied at scale in Europe. Using hydrogen produced from natural gas, the reduction is just 26%.

“We hope this study brings clarity to the public conversation, so that policymakers and industry leaders can make informed decisions,” said Dr. Georg Bieker, ICCT senior researcher. “We’ve recently seen auto industry leaders misrepresenting the emissions math on hybrids. But life-cycle analysis is not a choose-your-own-adventure exercise. Our study accounts for the most representative use cases and is grounded in real-world data. Consumers deserve accurate, science-backed information.”