EV Emissions Tool FAQ

The EV Emissions Tool calculates CO2e emissions for plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles in the US by combining vehicle efficiency data from the EPA with regional electricity grid emissions data from eGrid and the GREET model. It accounts for both direct and indirect emissions, including fuel production and transport, but excludes emissions from vehicle manufacturing and disposal. The tool uses a 'sales-weighted' approach for national averages based on 2016-2021 registration and sales data.

• The tool calculates global warming emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to allow for the comparison of different pollutants, such as methane and carbon dioxide, by converting them to the amount of carbon dioxide required to produce an equivalent amount of warming.
• For gasoline vehicles, emissions calculations include tailpipe emissions as well as the emissions from extracting crude oil, refining, and transporting gasoline, utilizing data from the Argonne National Laboratory's GREET model.
• Electric vehicle emissions are determined by matching a user's ZIP code to a regional electric grid, using EPA eGrid data for direct emissions and the GREET model for indirect emissions like fuel delivery to powerplants.
• National averages for charging emissions and vehicle efficiencies are 'sales-weighted' based on registration and sales data from 2016-2021. The average national sales-weighted efficiency for battery electrics is 0.297 kilowatt hours/mile.
• The tool does not include emissions from vehicle or battery manufacturing and disposal, which are typically higher for EVs than gasoline cars; however, the document states that most EVs offset these production emissions within one to two years of driving.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). EV Emissions Tool FAQ. https://www.ucs.org/resources/ev-emissions-tool-faq

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. EV Emissions Tool FAQ. 2015. https://www.ucs.org/resources/ev-emissions-tool-faq.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=EV Emissions Tool FAQ |date=25 September 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/ev-emissions-tool-faq |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2015emissions, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{EV Emissions Tool FAQ}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/ev-emissions-tool-faq}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }