Electromobility myth #1

The total footprint of an e-car is smaller than an internal combustion engine vehicle today and will get even better.

To make a fair comparison, it’s important to look at the full life cycle of a car. The ecological footprint depends on both the production process and the emissions during use.
 

Energy used in production

The CO₂ footprint of producing a fully electric vehicle (EV) today is greater than that of a vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE). The different steps in battery production require significant amounts of energy and therefore CO₂ emissions. The most emission-intense step is manufacturing the battery’s active materials.

No CO₂ when driving

During the use phase the car emits zero CO₂. Of course, the electricity generated to charge the battery can come from sources ranging from 100% green (e.g. wind or solar power) to 100% fossil fuel (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil). However, green electricity production is expected to significantly rise and the picture will look different in a few years.

Over the car life cycle, electric mobility plus increasing green electricity will deliver a lower overall CO₂ footprint than ICE cars. EVs in the EU already emit almost 60% less CO₂ on average today.
 

Emission benefit compared to ICE by vehicle size and geography, base case 2030

Looking at the three main markets (China, Europe and US), by 2030 the CO₂ advantage of an EV during its life cycle versus an ICE vehicle will range from 19% (large vehicle, low share of renewable energy) up to 60% (small vehicle, high share of renewable energy) by 2030.