Here’s how long EVs have to be driven before they save emissions versus gas cars

Electric vehicles must spend a while on the road before they reduce carbon emissions relative to gas-powered cars, an environmental consideration looming over President Joe Biden’s push to electrify the vehicle fleet.

That’s because producing an electric vehicle — and manufacturing the battery, in particular — yields a significantly larger carbon footprint compared to producing a traditional, internal combustion engine vehicle.

It can take years to offset the additional carbon footprint of producing an electric vehicle, though the exact time frame depends on multiple factors, such as miles driven, local power supply, and battery lifespan.

More emissions are created in manufacturing electric vehicles

The manufacture of electric vehicles generates roughly double the amount of greenhouse gas emissions of gas-power vehicles, according to a 2022 joint study from the University of Michigan and Ford Motors.

A 2021 study from Volvo Motors found that the production and manufacturing of its C40 Recharge electric model generates 70% more emissions than its gas vehicle counterpart, the XC40.

In particular, the massive batteries that power electric vehicles are carbon-intensive to make.

That’s because the critical minerals used in electric vehicle battery production, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, must be mined, smelted, and refined — a process that oftentimes requires the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, to separate the materials. It can also cause the release of harmful particulate matter into the atmosphere.

But electric vehicles generate fewer emissions when they’re on the road.

Electric vehicles, once they’re on the road, generate less carbon emissions than gas-powered cars. That’s because they do not have tailpipe emissions and are more efficient, in energy terms.

Still, running an electric vehicle does entail emissions through the electricity used to charge the car.

“I think consumers should be aware of the fact that, even though there aren’t any tailpipe emissions from a battery electric vehicle, there are still emissions to consider in operating the vehicle,” said Max Pyziur, who oversees issues of transportation, natural gas, and electricity at the Energy Policy Research Foundation.

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