STATE OF CHARGE Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States

The analysis finds that EVs generally produce lower global warming emissions than average compact gasoline vehicles, though their relative performance against high-efficiency hybrids depends on the regional electricity grid's fuel mix. In 'BEST' regions, EVs outperform 50 mpg hybrids, while in 'GOOD' regions, some hybrids remain a better choice for emissions. Financially, EV owners in 50 major U.S. cities can save between $750 and $1,200 annually in fuel costs when using the lowest-cost electricity plans, with significant additional savings available through time-of-use (TOU) rate plans, particularly in California.

• Electric vehicles generally produce lower global warming emissions than the average new compact gasoline-powered vehicle, but the extent of this reduction varies by regional electricity grid. In 'BEST' regions, which cover 45 percent of the U.S. population, EVs have lower emissions than a 50 mpg gasoline vehicle. In 'BETTER' regions, covering 38 percent of the population, EVs are equivalent to a 41 to 50 mpg gasoline vehicle. In 'GOOD' regions, covering about 17 percent of the population, EVs are equivalent to a 31 to 40 mpg gasoline vehicle, meaning some gasoline hybrids may be a better choice for emissions.
• The Rocky Mountain grid region, which includes Colorado and parts of neighboring states, is identified as having the highest emissions intensity of any regional grid in the U.S., resulting in EV emissions equivalent to a gasoline vehicle achieving approximately 34 mpg.
• EV owners can achieve annual fuel-cost savings between $750 and $1,200 compared to operating an average new compact gasoline vehicle (27 mpg) at $3.50 per gallon when using the lowest-cost electricity plan. The highest savings, exceeding $1,200 per year, are found in cities such as Indianapolis and Oklahoma City, while the lowest savings among the 50 cities evaluated are in Philadelphia, where owners still save over $750 per year.
• Switching from standard residential electricity rates to time-of-use (TOU) rate plans can provide hundreds of dollars in additional annual savings, particularly in California cities where savings can exceed $500 per year compared to standard plans.
• In 88 percent of the 50 largest U.S. cities (44 cities), the standard electricity rate plan alone provides fuel savings compared to a 50 mpg gasoline hybrid. The only exceptions are some California cities, where a switch to TOU plans is required to outperform the best gasoline hybrid at $3.50 per gallon of gas.

APA

Anair, D., & Mahmassani, A. (2012). STATE OF CHARGE Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/electric-car-global-warming-emissions-exec-summary.pdf

Chicago

Anair, Don, and Amine Mahmassani. STATE OF CHARGE Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2012. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/electric-car-global-warming-emissions-exec-summary.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anair |first1=Don |last2=Mahmassani |first2=Amine |title=STATE OF CHARGE Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=June 2012 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/electric-car-global-warming-emissions-exec-summary.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anair2012state, author = {Anair, Don and Mahmassani, Amine}, title = {{STATE OF CHARGE Electric Vehicles’ Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/electric-car-global-warming-emissions-exec-summary.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }