Why are electric cars a good alternative to conventional combustion vehicles?

When it comes to climate change and air quality, electric vehicles are preferable to diesel and petrol cars, even with the current electricity mix, which still includes a share of coal. Looking at the impacts of electric cars across their life cycle, it can be seen that a typical electric vehicle in Europe offers a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with its internal combustion engine equivalent. The lower emissions of electric vehicles in the use phase more than offsets the higher impact of raw materials extraction and the production phases. For further information, please refer to our report Electric vehicles from life cycle and circular economy perspectives or the interview with our expert summarising the advantages of electric cars.