Global transition from internal combustion to electric vehicles

Previous studies assumed higher greenhouse gas emissions from electric vehicle battery manufacturing and shorter battery lifespans.

In approximately 2015, studies had previously operated under the assumption that electric vehicle battery manufacturing led to higher greenhouse gas emissions and that battery lifespans were shorter than they actually are. These incorrect previous assumptions resulted in a different understanding of the environmental impact comparison between electric and internal combustion engine vehicles.

Research published in the journal Science indicated that the gap in environmental impact has shrunk because production-related CO2 emissions were lower than previously assumed. Furthermore, the environmental balance of electric vehicles is influenced by the fact that current battery types use significantly fewer critical raw materials, such as cobalt, than older versions.

Study suggests scrapping combustion engine vehicles to benefit climate