Is the ecological impact of combustion-engine cars less than that of electric vehicles (EVs)? No, that's not true: Despite the environmental impact of battery production for EVs, studies indicate that electric vehicles are more ecologically friendly throughout their lifespan when compared to combustion-engine cars, even in cases where the electricity used to charge EV batteries is sourced from coal power plants.
The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @hranatost on October 16, 2023, under the title (translated from Czech to English by Lead Stories staff): "The most ecological type of car 🚘♻️." The author of the video says (as translated):
The most ecological is modern diesel. Of course, if you cover half a million kilometers with that car and cross the whole of Germany on one tank, then yes, the effectivity is perfect. Petrol gasoline is totally clean. Hybrid is nonsense because it's a ruined petrol car.
And an electric vehicle ... I don't question the effectiveness of the electric engine, it's a great thing, batteries are a miracle, but it's very unecological, because of the mining of cobalt and lithium and the support of the Chinese market.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 21 13:26:58 2023 UTC)
In an article comparing EVs and combustion-engine carbon emissions, the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT) says that achieving significant decarbonization in combustion-engine vehicles is unrealistic. Hybrid electric vehicles reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 20 percent, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) show variable emission reductions. PHEVs' emissions are lower than gasoline cars but higher than battery electric vehicles. The article stated:
Only battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles have the potential to achieve the magnitude of life-cycle GHG emissions reductions needed to meet Paris Agreement goals.
In 2022, the lifetime CO₂ emissions of an average battery electric vehicle in Europe were three times lower than those of an equivalent petrol car. While mineral production for battery manufacturing has negative environmental and local impacts, similar issues arise from crude oil production.
Lead Stories has previously debunked a similar claim, emphasizing that electric cars do not possess a more harmful carbon footprint.
