Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave

The report finds that battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) produce significantly lower lifetime global warming emissions than comparable gasoline cars, despite higher emissions during the manufacturing process. On average, BEVs sold in the U.S. produce less than half the emissions of gasoline vehicles, with the extra manufacturing burden offset within 6 to 16 months of driving. The environmental benefit of EVs increases as the U.S. electricity grid shifts from coal to renewable energy sources.

• Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are cleaner than comparable gasoline-powered vehicles over their entire life cycle, producing less than half the global warming emissions on average.
• The higher global warming emissions associated with BEV manufacturing are offset quickly through driving; for the two most popular BEV models, this payback period is between 6 and 16 months of average driving.
• Driving an average EV in the U.S. results in global warming emissions equivalent to a gasoline vehicle with a 68 MPG fuel economy rating, based on 2014 sales-weighted data.
• Approximately 66 percent of the U.S. population lives in regions where charging an EV produces lower global warming emissions than driving a gasoline car that achieves 50 MPG.
• Manufacturing emissions for BEVs are higher than for gasoline cars primarily due to lithium-ion battery production; a midsize BEV's manufacturing emissions are about 15 percent (1 ton of CO2e) higher, while a full-size BEV's are 68 percent (6 tons of CO2e) higher.
• A transition to an electricity grid composed of 80 percent renewable energy would reduce a BEV's manufacturing emissions by over 25 percent and driving emissions by 84 percent, leading to a total life cycle reduction of more than 60 percent compared to current levels.
• Driving an EV in any U.S. grid region produces lower global warming emissions than the average new gasoline car (29 MPG), with the lowest-performing region still equivalent to a 35 MPG vehicle.
• The report suggests that the global warming emissions of BEV manufacturing can be further reduced through the use of renewable energy at production facilities, advances in battery fabrication and recycling, and the use of lighter materials like aluminum or carbon fiber-reinforced plastics.

APA

Nealer, R., Reichmuth, D., & Anair, D. (2015). Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf

Chicago

Nealer, Rachael, David Reichmuth, and Don Anair. Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2015. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nealer |first1=Rachael |last2=Reichmuth |first2=David |last3=Anair |first3=Don |title=Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=November 2015 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nealer2015cleaner, author = {Nealer, Rachael and Reichmuth, David and Anair, Don}, title = {{Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2015}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }