Toronto, Ontario – TD Economics has released a study highlighting the lifecycle emission differences between electric versus internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles in Canada.
When looking at the study, electric vehicles reportedly have significantly lower lifecycle emissions than ICE vehicles. While electric vehicles start off with a higher carbon footprint due to emissions associated with battery production, fuel-related emissions from ICE vehicles are greater and drive the emission gap between the two vehicle types, says the study.
Additionally, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles also generally have lower emissions, says the study. However, their emissions savings are smaller than those of battery electric vehicles and this is due to the degree that they are driven using their electric systems.
And, for electric vehicles specifically, emissions benefits vary based on the emission intensity of the electricity system. However, even in provinces and territories dependent on fossil fuel electricity generation, battery electric vehicles still produce lower emissions since they use less energy than ICE vehicles in order to move the same distance.
Overall, for the Canada-wide electricity grid mix, the average emissions savings of BEVs range from 70 to 77 percent across different vehicle classes.
The study further notes that this relationship holds even in a scenario where a BEV’s lithium-ion battery is replaced before the vehicle reaches its end of life, although the emissions savings decline by 59 to 69 percent.
Finally, the study concludes that the lack of affordable electric vehicle models and the rollback of rebate programs could slow down the pace of the transition towards EVs and emissions reduction from wider adoption.
To see the full study, click here.
