Electric vehicles are proving their worth when it comes to long-term emissions. While building an EV creates more pollution upfront because battery production demands more energy, the balance changes fast once the car is on the road. After about two years of normal driving, an electric car overtakes a gas-powered one in total CO2 savings and keeps widening the gap over time.

 

A peer-reviewed study published in PLOS Climate supports this finding. Researchers Pankaj Sadavarte, Drew Shindell, and Daniel Loughlin conducted the analysis titled, "Comparing the climate and air pollution footprints of Lithium-ion BEVs and ICEs in the U.S. incorporating systemic energy system responses." Their work examined how manufacturing, fuel production and vehicle operation affect both climate and air quality over a vehicle's lifetime.