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Tuesday August 26 2025

Switching to electric vehicles significantly reduces total CO₂ emissions

26 August 2025 20:21 (UTC+04:00)
Switching to electric vehicles significantly reduces total CO₂ emissions

By Alimat Aliyeva

Climate scientists and economists from the United States have determined that switching to electric passenger vehicles, including SUVs and electric pickups, can reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 71-73%, taking into account all costs related to their manufacturing and operation. “Transportation accounts for about 28% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and we need to significantly cut this to reduce the frequency of floods, droughts, and wildfires. That’s why we decided to comprehensively assess how switching to electric vehicles affects CO₂ emissions over their entire life cycle,” said Professor Greg Keolin, Azernews reports.

To obtain this data, the researchers analyzed the resources spent on assembling a typical electric passenger vehicle, as well as the energy used to transport goods and passengers in both urban and rural areas. They also performed similar calculations for traditional gasoline vehicles and two types of hybrids.

The researchers’ calculations show that, across most parameter combinations, all types of electric vehicles significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to their traditional or hybrid counterparts. This reduction is roughly 71-73% when switching from gasoline and diesel vehicles and 63-65% when switching from hybrids.

According to the scientists, the greatest impact will come from replacing conventional pickups and compact sedans with electric versions, with emissions reductions of about 75% and 80%, respectively. These electric vehicles are expected to emit roughly 75 and 50 grams of CO₂ per kilometer, and even a fully loaded electric pickup produces significantly fewer emissions than its unloaded gasoline counterpart.

The advantages of electric vehicles are even more pronounced in regions with developed infrastructure and electricity generated from renewable or low-carbon sources. “All this makes a full transition to passenger electric vehicles even more attractive,” the study authors concluded.

As battery recycling technologies improve and renewable energy production scales up, the environmental benefits of electric vehicles are expected to increase even further, making them an even more powerful tool against climate change.

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