U-M study quantifies EV lifetime greenhouse emissions

The University of Michigan published a cradle-to-grave analysis showing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have lower lifetime greenhouse gas emissions than internal combustion engine vehicles, hybrids and plug-in hybrids in every county of the contiguous U.S.

• Study details and main findings: The peer-reviewed paper (Environmental Science & Technology, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5c05406) conducted a cradle-to-grave lifecycle analysis across 35 vehicle class and powertrain combinations for representative 2025 vehicles, finding an ICE pickup emits 486 g CO2e/mi, a hybrid pickup reduces emissions by 23%, and a fully electric pickup reduces emissions by 75%; compact sedan BEVs were lowest at 81 g CO2e/mi (~17% of ICE pickup). The analysis also found a BEV pickup hauling 2,500 lbs emits <30% of the per-mile emissions of an unloaded ICE pickup.
• Methods, products and support: The study considered powertrain, vehicle class, driving behavior, temperature effects, and county-level grid emissions, and is accompanied by a free online calculator (https://vehicle-emissions-calculator.vercel.app/) for personalized per-mile estimates; the work was supported by the State of Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity and the U-M Electric Vehicle Center, with key contributors Greg Keoleian (senior author), Elizabeth Smith (lead author), Christian Hitt, Timothy Wallington, Maxwell Woody, Alan Taub, and collaborator Hyung Chul Kim (Ford).