The new estimates update a study published in 2016 and add to a growing body of research underscoring the potential lifetime savings of electric cars.Ĭomparing individual cars can be useful - and sometimes surprising. Trancik’s team released the data in an interactive online tool to help people quantify the true costs of their car-buying decisions - both for the planet and their budget. Compact cars were usually cheaper and more efficient, while gas-powered SUVs and luxury sedans landed on the opposite end of the spectrum.ĭr. Traditional gas-burning cars were usually the least climate friendly option, though long-term costs and emissions spanned a wide range.

Some hybrids were cheaper and spewed less planet-warming carbon dioxide than regular cars, but others were in the same emissions and cost range as gas-only vehicles. The new data showed hybrid cars, which run on a combination of fuel and battery power, and can sometimes be plugged in, had more mixed results for both emissions and costs. Trancik estimates that an electric vehicle’s production emissions would be offset in anywhere from six to 18 months, depending on how clean the energy grid is where the car is charging.

The cars are greener over time, too, despite the more emissions-intensive battery manufacturing process. Electric vehicles also use regenerative braking, which reduces wear and tear.) (Battery-electric engines have fewer moving parts that can break compared with gas-powered engines and they don’t require oil changes. who led the research, said she hoped the data would “help people learn about how those upfront costs are spread over the lifetime of the car.”įor electric cars, lower maintenance costs and the lower costs of charging compared with gasoline prices tend to offset the higher upfront price over time. Jessika Trancik, an associate professor of energy studies at M.I.T. In the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of emissions, most of which come from cars and trucks. The most fuel efficient trim for each car is included and additional trim levels are shown for cars over $35,000 if they have a lower fuel economy rating than other trims shown (they are less efficient) by at least 4 miles per gallon.Ĭlimate scientists say vehicle electrification is one of the best ways to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. Source: by the MIT Trancik Lab | Note: The chart shows data for new cars, SUVs and other models that retail for $55,000 or less.

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