Overview

• The peer-reviewed work in Environmental Science & Technology models 35 class and powertrain combinations using Argonne’s life-cycle framework and 2025 EPA vehicle data.
• Average gasoline pickups emit about 486 g CO2e per mile, while switching to a battery-electric pickup cuts lifecycle emissions by roughly 75% versus about 23% for a hybrid, with a BEV pickup hauling 2,500 pounds still under 30% of an empty gas pickup.
• A compact 200-mile battery-electric sedan averages roughly 81 g CO2e per mile, or about 17% of a gas pickup’s lifecycle emissions, underscoring the benefits of smaller vehicles and smaller battery packs.
• Compared with equivalent gasoline models, 400-mile BEVs reduce lifecycle emissions by about 67–69%, 300-mile BEVs by about 81–83%, and 200-mile BEVs to roughly 25–26% of ICE levels.
• County-level results reflect grid carbon intensity, temperature effects on efficiency, and real-world use patterns such as the share of plug-in hybrid miles driven electrically, and the researchers published an online calculator for user-specific estimates.