E-cars are only better than combustion engines after 90,000 kilometers

Battery-powered electric cars (BEV) in the compact class are only more climate-friendly than those with combustion engines after a mileage of 90,000 kilometers. In the long-term analysis carried out by engineers from the Association of German Engineers (VDI) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), electric cars and plug-in hybrids perform best in terms of their carbon footprint over a vehicle mileage of 200,000 kilometers, followed by diesel and petrol cars that run on fossil fuels.

A car in Germany currently drives just under 13,000 kilometers per year. The 90,000 km are therefore reached after around seven years, the 200,000 km after just over 15 years. These are the key findings of a comprehensive study by the interdisciplinary expert committee on drive systems of the VDI Society for Automotive and Transport Engineering, which compared the life cycle assessment of electric cars, plug-in hybrids (petrol/diesel) and conventionally powered cars (diesel/petrol). The VDI life cycle assessment study examined the environmental impact of various car drive concepts of compact class vehicles such as the VW ID 3, Ford Focus, Toyota Corolla Hybrid and VW Golf.

The exact life cycle assessment depends on numerous factors such as the production location, the energy mix in the production of the vehicle and components as well as the drive system used on the road and the energy used. Due to the resource-intensive production of the drive technology, e-cars and hybrid vehicles start with an ecological rucksack in their life cycle assessment, as battery production today still takes place almost exclusively in Asia.

"For more climate-friendly mobility, we in Germany urgently need to expand renewable energies, develop green battery production and also sustainably produced fuels for existing vehicles," says Dr. Joachim Damasky, Chairman of the VDI Society for Automotive and Transport Technology. Only the green production of batteries and their primary materials will reduce the ecological footprint of production and make e-mobility truly climate-friendly.

Despite the ecological backpack, e-cars and plug-in hybrids already perform best in long-term operation, according to Damasky. Assuming a mileage of 200,000 kilometers, e-cars are ahead. E-cars cause 24.2 tons of CO2 over the entire period under consideration - from vehicle and drive production to the end of the kilometers driven. In second place are plug-in hybrids (such as the Toyota Corolla Hybrid) with slightly higher CO2 emissions of 24.8 tons. Diesel and petrol vehicles in the compact class (such as the Ford Focus, VW Golf) follow in 3rd and 4th place by a considerable margin and are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions of an additional 33 tons of CO2 (diesel) and 37 tons of CO2 respectively when running on 100 percent fossil fuels.

If sustainably produced fuels were used for combustion engines, the picture could be reversed. This is because they emit less additional CO2 than fossil fuels. We are talking about an advantage of 70 percent in terms of CO2 emissions.

This consideration was not included in the VDI figures. In its comprehensive life cycle assessment study, the VDI examined various scenarios for electricity use and came to the following conclusion: If electricity from renewable energy sources were used exclusively to power vehicles in Germany in the future - as planned by the German government - e-cars with today's standard would be more climate-friendly than diesel or petrol-powered vehicles from as little as 65,000 kilometers driven in 2035. If an e-car is powered by electricity generated from fossil fuels, the value shifts to 160,000 kilometers driven.

Conclusion of the VDI Life Cycle Assessment Study 2023: We need to look at the greenhouse gas emissions from production, running time and disposal in the life cycle assessment. Only the green production of batteries and their primary materials makes e-mobility climate-friendly. This is where the industry will have a major lever for more climate-friendly mobility in the future, which unfortunately is not being used today. We therefore need more battery production made in Germany, better battery recycling and the rapid expansion of renewable energies - both in the form of green electricity and green fuels. "The life cycle assessment study shows that it is too short-sighted to only talk about vehicle consumption," says VDI expert Joachim Damasky.

The VDI's recommendations for action at a glance:

No green e-mobility without green electricity

We need the expansion of renewable energies for more climate-friendly mobility in Germany. Simply switching to electric cars and hybrid vehicles will not be enough if the electricity is produced in a "dirty" way. The expansion of photovoltaics and wind power is important and will noticeably improve the carbon footprint of electric cars in the use phase.

Only green batteries enable green e-mobility

Battery production for electric cars must be carried out using renewable electrical energy in order to keep greenhouse gas emissions low during production. The study shows that the emissions of battery electric vehicles are decisively determined by the production of the batteries. The respective production location plays a key role here.

Strengthen location D

Batteries must be produced sustainably in Germany and Europe using renewable electricity. Battery production in Germany and European countries with a high proportion of renewable energy not only ensures European added value, but also a better CO2 balance for cars.

E-fuels are an important technological building block

In order to achieve the German and European climate targets in the transport sector, the use of climate-neutral fuels for the existing fleet is essential. The regulatory framework for this must be created immediately so that the industry invests in the corresponding scaling of sustainable fuel production.

Plug-in hybrids make a positive contribution

In order to drive with the lowest possible emissions, drivers must ensure that plug-in hybrids are operated as intended. They must prioritize and regularly charge their plug-in hybrids electrically in order to achieve a high proportion of electric driving.

Leicjter vehicle class M0 offers additional potential

A newly created small electric vehicle class M0 for urban areas with correspondingly small batteries, low weight and a small footprint, but without compromising on safety, can meet many mobility needs.

Targeted promotion of battery recycling R&D

In addition to the regulatory requirements already in place, the study sees an increased need for action with regard to the recycling of traction batteries for electric cars, in research and development and scaling up to an industrial scale. In terms of material requirements and availability, recycling will play an increasingly important role in the future.