KEY FINDINGS
- An extensive literature review and harmonisation effort indicates broad agreement that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) tend to exhibit significantly lower life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) impacts than internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), despite their initially higher emissions during manufacturing.
- The life cycle assessment (LCA) modelling used for this study indicates that a typical battery electric car in the current situation already saves over ~60% kgCO2eq compared to an equivalent conventional gasoline car in average EU conditions. Significant life cycle GHG emissions reductions were also found across different situations and countries.
- Analysis of the future outlook shows that the GHG benefits of BEVs are expected to further increase. By 2030, average BEV GHG impacts in the EU27 could be 78% lower than those of an equivalent conventional gasoline car. By 2050, these savings could increase to 86%.
- Decisive policy action on some specific issues will be needed to maximise the benefits of BEVs and mitigate existing risks, including an ambitious policy agenda around circular economy approaches for vehicle components at EU level, particularly for EV batteries.
- Tailpipe CO2 emissions regulations provide a suitable regulatory framework, considering current technical limitations for a regulation on a life cycle basis and the presence of complementary legislation to regulate upstream and end-of-life emissions. However, LCA reporting should be encouraged.
- Incentives to promote right-sized BEVs/batteries may be needed as BEVs consolidate their market position. These could be introduced in terms of energy efficiency targets for BEVs or zero-emission vehicles more widely.
- Further EU-wide research is required to foster innovation in the field of battery technology and particularly on more materially-efficient battery variants that utilise smaller amounts of critical elements per unit of storage provided.
- A wider set of policies, including policies to promote a modal shift towards sustainable travel modes and the adoption of mobility-as-a-service, is needed to further reduce emissions on a passenger-km basis.
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