HomeTechnologyThe carbon footprint of electric vehicles continues to decline

The carbon footprint of electric vehicles continues to decline

Back in February of this year, we wrote about a study that resolved a serious dispute between fans of electric vehicles and their opponents. This is an American Yale University publication in which electric vehicles (EVs) and the internal combustion engine (Internal Combustion Engine – ICE compared) emissions during the production and life cycle of assembled cars.

The result of the study was clear: the production of electric vehicles, even with the extraction of raw materials for batteries, does not pollute the environment as much as for cars with internal combustion engines.

The production and operation of electric vehicles is not as hard on the environment as gasoline or diesel models (Photo: Ford)

Now the University of Michigan Research Institute for Sustainable Systems has conducted an investigation at the request of Ford, writes InsideEVs. The study compared the emissions of “conventional” and electric cars. And this time, the result was clear:

it turned out that the emissions of electric vehicles are on average 35-37 percent less than those with an internal combustion engine.

The above the comparison applies to sedans and SUVs, but researchers separately studied the environmental footprint of electric pickups, from manufacturing to battery disposal, showing that electric models have 34 percent less environmental footprint than petrol or diesel versions.

The study also showed that the carbon footprint of electric vehicles will decrease in the coming years. The key lies in the energy transition: electricity is still produced by coal-fired power plants in many places around the world, especially in the United States, but similar plants can be found in Europe, however, as they are closed and space is limited. To replace more modern renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power or geothermal and water power, emissions projected over the entire life cycle of vehicles will start to decline.

In the future, emissions from battery electric vehicles will undoubtedly decrease as renewables replace wind farms. The message of our study is that the transition to such vehicles must be accelerated

– emphasized Greg Keoleyan, University Director of the Michigan Center for Renewable Systems.

Another study by the Department of Energy Transition Research at the University of Eindhoven found that electric vehicle batteries last much longer than previously expected. According to Nissan, batteries can even outlive the life cycle of the car itself, which was also confirmed by experts at a Dutch university.

Auke Hoekstra, director of the department, published a research paper back in 2020, according to which the batteries of electric vehicles are capable of driving more than half a million kilometers – while gasoline and diesel have turned into a much greater burden on the environment, as we thought.

The results of Ford-sponsored research are 100 percent correct. All studies agree that electric vehicles save the world from 50-70 percent of emissions generated during production and use, while emissions from battery production can be offset within 1-2 years. The more someone drives, the faster this “payback” happens

Hoekstra added.

Keoleyan also pointed out that there is no country in the world where electric vehicles pollute the environment more than ICE models, and the former will only get cleaner as more and more renewable, green energy is added to production over time.

We have something to tell you, all the fun you will find here!

Follow World Weekly News on

Sandra Loyd
Sandra Loyd
Sandra is the Reporter working for World Weekly News. She loves to learn about the latest news from all around the world and share it with our readers.

Leave a Reply

Must Read