Observatory on Energy Transition and Climate Action (OTEA)

One of the main strategies for mitigating CO₂ emissions is the electrification of vehicles. Although taking vehicles that are still in good condition off the road has an environmental impact, a study published in the journal Science has shown that replacing them with battery electric vehicles brings long-term benefits, even when taking into account the emissions resulting from their manufacture. To address this issue, the authors estimated the life-cycle CO₂ emissions associated with keeping a combustion-engine vehicle in use, compared with scrapping it early and replacing it with an electric vehicle. The results show that the carbon footprint of manufacturing the new vehicle is reduced, as electric cars emit only a third of the greenhouse gases produced by combustion-engine vehicles.