Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Scientists: Electric cars are 59 percent cleaner than fossil cars

According to a new German study, electric cars are up to 59 percent cleaner than gasoline and diesel cars. The study also puts hybrids in the corner of shame.

Electric cars are a topic that can often get the blood pumping in debate. Electric cars, which run solely on electricity, leave a lower CO2 footprint when driving compared to the same kilometers in fossil-fueled cars.

But the production of electric cars, especially the batteries, requires energy and the extraction of precious materials. And that puts the electric car at a disadvantage from the start.

A new study from energy and environmental research in Heidelberg, Germany, is now throwing more numbers into the debate.

The institute has updated previous research with the latest figures to provide a more accurate picture of emissions from both electric and fossil-fuel vehicles. The study takes into account emissions from the production, driving and scrapping of the cars.

The results show that electric cars produce, on average, 53 percent less CO2 emissions than gasoline cars and 59 percent less than diesel cars over the entire life of the electric car.

This is despite the fact that the production of electric cars generally pollutes more. This means that an electric car "catches up" the higher CO2 footprint from production after 4,500 kilometers compared to gasoline cars and after 2,500 kilometers compared to diesel cars.

After that, the electric car is a more climate-friendly choice, say the Germans.

The study also shows that diesel cars in Germany have higher emissions than petrol cars. This is because diesel engines are primarily found in larger cars, which generally have higher fuel consumption.

Researchers have also studied plug-in hybrids. However, they are not nearly as environmentally friendly as pure electric cars, as their actual consumption depends largely on how often the car owner charges them.

However, not everyone is equally enthusiastic about the idea of a one-sided focus on electric cars. One of them is Swedish billionaire Mats Qviberg, who is chairman of the board of the Swedish car dealership giant Bilia.

He is not afraid to express his opinion about the wired cars, while also pointing out their flaws.

In an opinion piece in the Swedish newspaper Dagens Industri, the billionaire describes the challenges of using electric cars on long trips or in sparsely populated areas.

Here, charging options can be limited, and the range of the cars can be a huge challenge. He also believes that there are drivers for whom the electric car is just not an option.

Not everyone agrees with the German researchers' calculations. In 2021, Volvo Cars made it clear that the CO2 difference between fossil and electric cars is negligible from the assembly line until the day the cars end up as scrap.

Forskere: Elbiler er 59 procent renere end fossilbilen
Source: Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg

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