A new 2025 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) confirms that fully electric vehicles (EVs) continue to deliver significant environmental benefits compared to petrol cars when assessed over their full life cycle.
The study analysed passenger vehicles sold in the European Union and evaluated emissions from material extraction, production, use, and end-of-life. Using the projected EU electricity mix from 2025 to 2044, it found that:
⚡ A fully-electric car bought in 2025 will have 73% lower life-cycle emissions than a new petrol car.
🌱 This figure increases to 78% when EVs are charged exclusively using renewable electricity.
Even though EV production currently generates around 40% more emissions than petrol car production, this is typically offset within the first 17,000 kilometres of driving.
The study also highlights the additional future emissions savings possible through second-life battery applications and improved battery recycling processes. It did not account for these in the core calculations, meaning real-world life-cycle emissions could be even lower over time.
This evidence reinforces the long-term value of electrification and the importance of clean energy infrastructure to maximise impact.
The full report can be viewed here – https://theicct.org/publication/electric-cars-life-cycle-analysis-emissions-europe-jul25/
Source – https://theicct.org/