Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the European Union are now four times cleaner than their petrol and diesel counterparts and they’re getting even cleaner at a faster rate, according to a new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).
The study looked at the full life-cycle emissions of different types of cars, not just what comes out of the tailpipe. This includes emissions from making the car and battery, producing the fuel or electricity, and maintaining the car over its life.
The results show that BEVs have much lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over their lifetime than cars with internal combustion engines (ICEVs), even when battery production is included.
Cleaner Cars, Faster Progress
The report found that BEVs using the EU’s average electricity mix for 2025–2044 will produce just 63 grams of CO₂ per kilometre. This is 73 per cent less than petrol cars, which emit 235 grams per kilometre on average. When BEVs use only renewable electricity, the emissions drop even further to just 52 grams per kilometre, which is 78 per cent lower than petrol cars.
“Although BEVs were estimated to have about 40% higher production emissions than ICEVs due to emissions from production of the battery, these additional emissions are more than offset after about 17,000 km of use in the first one or two years,” the report explained.
Even compared to plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, BEVs still come out on top. Plug-in hybrids emit 163 g CO₂/km, about three times higher than BEVs using the EU average electricity mix. Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles only match BEV levels when powered by renewable hydrogen, which is still not widely available in Europe.
Importance of Real-World Data
The report used real-world driving data and considered the ful 20-year average vehicle lifetime. It also included expected changes in electricity sources. The ICCT warns that using outdated or unrealistic methods can hide the true impact of petrol and diesel vehicles.
“Not accounting for the expected changes in the electricity mix inflates the estimated life-cycle emissions of BEVs,” the report said. In fact, some studies overestimate BEV emissions by as much as 64%.
What This Means for Policy
According to the report, to meet climate targets, the EU needs to phase out sales of new petrol, diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid cars by 2035. “Only BEVs offer a large-scale reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions,” the authors stated.
The report also calls for better rules to cut down emissions from the production side, like battery manufacturing. It recommends stronger standards for energy efficiency and more support for clean electricity.
While some say that smaller petrol or hybrid cars might be “good enough,” the ICCT disagrees.
“Hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles have 20% and 30% lower emissions, respectively, than gasoline ICEVs,” the report noted, “but still three times higher than BEVs.”
An Even Greener Future for BEVs
“Attaining representative results requires considering projected changes in the fuel and electricity mix during the lifetime of the vehicles,” the ICCT concluded.
With cleaner power sources and better technology on the way, BEVs are expected to get even greener.
The full report can be downloaded here.
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