Myth:

Even though electric vehicles do not produce any emissions when they are driven, they still produce emissions when they are manufactured and when they are powered from the grid. So, they cannot significantly cut emissions.

Fact:

While EVs emit about 75 percent more CO2 during their production (mainly due to the battery, which is absent from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles), they quickly compensate for this by emitting far less when on the road. Even if powered entirely from the grid in Australia, an EV emits far less CO2 than an ICE vehicle. It overtakes the ICE vehicle at around 38,000 kilometres and saves on emissions for every kilometre after that. Given that an Australian commuter drives an average of 12,600 km per year, or 34.5 km per day, the crossover point with an ICE vehicle is just three years. 

In Australia, the crossover point is also determined geographically. In states like NSW and Queensland, where fossil fuels still power most of the grid, that point is higher than in ones like South Australia, where the grid is mostly powered by renewables. In the latter case, the crossover point is 23,000 km, or 22 months. 

Of course, if an EV is powered entirely by renewables, then its crossover point is lower again and the emissions saved are vastly greater. In Australia, a majority of EVs are powered this way. And once EVs are actually made using renewable energy, they will have a very low carbon footprint indeed. This is already happening at Tesla’s factory in Texas, which is powered by 70,000 solar panels on the roof, with a gigantic battery complex to run the plant on cloudy days and at night.

The author, Ken Enderby, standing on the upstairs balcony at the back of his house. Some of his solar panels can be seen in the foreground on his back roof and in the background on his garage roof. His EV (in red) can be seen inside the garage. It is powered entirely by solar and has cost $$2.87 to run since purchased in March, 2024. [Source: Ken Enderby]

Sources:

Zeke Hausfather, “Factcheck: How electric vehicles help to tackle climate change,” Carbon Brief, 13/5/19

Auke Hoekstra, The Underestimated Potential of Battery Electric Vehicles to Reduce Emissions,” Joule, 19/6/19

Paul Lienert, “Factbox: Lifetime carbon emissions of electric vehicles vs gasoline cars,” Reuters, 8/7/21

“Are electric vehicles definitely better for the climate than gas-powered cars?” MIT Climate Portal, 13/10/22

Jasper Jolly, “Do electric cars really produce fewer carbon emissions than petrol or diesel vehicles?” The Guardian, 23/12/23

Jo Lauder, “Are electric cars better for the environment than fuel-powered cars? Here’s the verdict,” ABC News, 27/5/24

Martha Lawrence, “Driving green: the environmental impacts of EVs,” EDF,  13/1/25