A recent study by TD Economics has shed light on the long-term environmental impact of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) compared to traditional internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. While the initial manufacturing of BEVs, particularly the production of their lithium-ion batteries, creates a higher carbon footprint, the study concludes that over their entire life cycle, BEVs demonstrate significantly lower emissions. This is primarily due to their superior energy efficiency, converting a much higher percentage of energy into movement compared to gasoline cars. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also offer emission reductions, albeit less substantial than BEVs, and their benefits are heavily reliant on the proportion of electric versus gasoline driving.
The environmental advantage of BEVs remains consistent across Canada, even in regions reliant on fossil fuels for electricity generation. The study highlights that the efficiency of BEVs, requiring less energy to travel the same distance, compensates for the emissions associated with electricity production. Researchers calculated “cradle-to-grave” emissions, encompassing everything from raw material extraction to vehicle disposal. They found that, on average, BEVs offer a 70% to 77% reduction in emissions compared to ICE vehicles across various vehicle segments. Even when accounting for a battery replacement, which increases the battery’s contribution to the vehicle’s life-cycle emissions from 50% to 60%, the emissions savings remain substantial, ranging from 59% to 69% lower than ICE vehicles.
The efficiency gap between BEVs and ICE vehicles is striking. For instance, the study found that gasoline SUVs consume between 6.7 and 21.7 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, while BEVs require the energy equivalent of 2.3 to 5.0 liters of gasoline for the same distance. This translates to an average of four times more energy consumption for gasoline SUVs compared to their electric counterparts. Moreover, Canada’s electricity grid, on average, produces 61% fewer emissions than gasoline infrastructure. In provinces and territories with cleaner electricity grids, the environmental advantage of BEVs becomes even more pronounced.
A key factor influencing the overall emissions of BEVs is the longevity of their batteries. While the long-term durability of BEV batteries is still being assessed, the study indicates that even with a battery replacement, the emissions savings remain significant. For example, in the SUV segment, BEV life-cycle emissions are still 68% lower than those of gasoline vehicles at the national level. This demonstrates the potential of BEVs to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions over their operational lifespan, contributing to a more sustainable transportation future.
