Overview

• Production of electric vehicles generates about 40 percent more CO₂ than combustion cars due to battery and vehicle manufacturing.
• Lifecycle emissions savings for battery electric vehicles have improved by 24 percent since the ICCT’s 2021 study driven by greater energy efficiency and cleaner power.
• ICCT’s analysis uses real-world onboard data combined with projected EU energy mixes to provide a realistic emissions assessment.
• Green hydrogen cars can achieve up to 79 percent lifecycle emission cuts while hybrids and plug-in hybrids deliver only 20–30 percent reductions.
• The current European power mix is 56 percent renewable and ongoing growth promises deeper carbon benefits for electric vehicles.