Are hybrids really that much cleaner than ICEs?

Lifetime emissions from hybrid cars can outweigh electric vehicles by roughly two times, according to new data from the International Council of Clean Transportation (ICCT).

Driving the news: Lifetime emissions encompass the entirety of a vehicle’s existence, including during manufacturing and eventual disposal. This is important since EV production is often targeted for its impact on the environment.

• The ICCT found that self-charging and plug-in hybrids produce more than double the emissions than comparable fully-electric models.

• This is only slightly better than internal combustion engine (ICE) models, which produce more than three times the lifetime emissions of an EV.

• However, when comparing EVs charged using renewable electricity, the gap in emissions expanded drastically. By this metric, hybrid emissions were 4.9 times higher than EVs while ICE exceeded 6.7 times.

The intrigue: While renewable energy is the clear winner when it comes to lowering lifetime emissions, EVs and manufacturers are already becoming more eco-friendly.

• Just three years ago, lifetime emissions for the average battery-powered car were about 57% to 68% lower than the typical ICE vehicle.

• Today, that number has risen to 66% to 74%, depending on the charger. When excluding non-renewable energy sources, the number increases to 85%.

• Since EVs don’t produce any emissions during regular driving, most of these gains were achieved through improvements to other processes, like manufacturing, energy production, and disposal.

Bottom line: Hybrids have become an increasingly popular choice for new car buyers, especially those who aren’t ready to fully commit to an EV purchase. But many drivers may be surprised to learn just how eco-friendly fully-electric cars have become. As time goes on, the ICCT believes EVs will see even more reductions in lifetime emissions.

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