Electric vehicles (EVs) are more environmentally friendly than their petrol-powered counterparts in the United States, where electricity generation still relies heavily on fossil fuels, a new study has found.
While it is widely known that EVs produce lower emissions during operation, concerns have been raised over the environmental cost of producing them-particularly due to their heavy batteries made from rare minerals, which require significant energy to manufacture.
Researchers from the University of Michigan set out to examine the full life-cycle emissions of vehicles, from manufacturing through to road use. Their findings show that the carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted during the production of an electric vehicle is offset over time by the significantly lower emissions generated while driving.
“The study showed for the first time that BEVs (battery electric vehicles) have lower emissions over their lifetime than any other vehicle type in every county in the contiguous US,” said a statement released alongside the study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Using a statistical model, the researchers evaluated emissions per mile driven across 35 combinations of vehicle types and energy sources used for power generation.
According to the study, an electric vehicle with a range of 300 miles (480 kilometres) produces, on average, 30% fewer emissions over its life cycle compared to a plug-in hybrid, approximately 60% less than a non-plug-in hybrid, and about 70% less than a conventional petrol-powered car.
Despite the U.S. government under President Donald Trump rolling back incentives for electric vehicles and renewable energy, the industry remains focused on clean transportation.
“EVs are becoming the dominant powertrain in other parts of the world, and manufacturers recognise that is the future for the US,” said Greg Keoleian, senior author of the study.
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