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https://thedriven.io/2025/07/09/evs-are-already-73-pct-cleaner-than-ice-vehicles-and-getting-cleaner-faster-than-thought/>
"Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) sold today in Europe emit nearly four times
less greenhouse gases over their lifetime than their internal combustion engine
(ICE) counterparts, and they are getting cleaner faster than experts expected.
New research published this week by the International Council on Clean
Transportation (ICCT) estimates that BEVs sold today in Europe produce 73 per
cent less life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than an equivalent
gasoline-powered counterpart – even when factoring in production of the
vehicle.
Specifically, medium segment passenger BEVs sold across the European Union in
2025 and charging based on the projected 2025–2044 average EU electricity mix
were shown to have an estimated life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions value of 63
grams of CO₂ equivalent per kilometre (g CO2e/km).
This was 73 per cent lower than the emissions of gasoline-powered vehicles
running on the average blend of fossil gasoline and ethanol, which were shown
to have an estimated life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions value of 235 g
CO₂e/km.
The numbers highlight that the savings in a BEV go beyond just tailpipe CO₂
emissions – given that emissions from fuel production are higher than those
from electricity within the average EU electricity mix.
And even though BEVs are estimated to generate around 40 per cent higher
production emissions than ICE vehicles due to the emissions from battery
manufacture, these additional emissions are “more than offset” after around
17,000 kilometres of use in the first one or two years.
On top of that, the life-cycle emissions of BEVs were 24 per cent less than
estimated in ICCT’s 2021 life-cycle analysis study, reflecting the ongoing
decarbonisation of the EU’s average electricity mix.
Renewable energy sources are expected to account for 56 per cent of electricity
generation in Europe, an 18-point increase compared with 2020, and a trend
which the EU’s Joint Research Centre expects will continue to increase in the
next decade, reaching 86 per cent by 2045.
That means a new BEV remaining on the road for around 20 years will deliver
even more climate benefits."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
