New Delhi — Battery electric vehicles significantly outperform petrol-powered internal combustion engine vehicles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions across their full lifecycle, including manufacturing and operation, according to a report released on Monday.
The study found that operational emissions for petrol vehicles stand at 53.84 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, compared with 33 tonnes for battery electric vehicles operating on India’s current electricity grid, which includes about 28 percent renewable energy. With electricity generated entirely from renewable sources, operational emissions from BEVs fall to a negligible 0.03 tonnes, the report said.
The findings are based on research conducted by the Centre for Excellence in Energy and Telecommunications at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, in collaboration with Immersive Technology and Entrepreneurship Labs.
Using a dynamic lifecycle model covering a standard vehicle lifespan of one lakh kilometers, the study estimated manufacturing emissions at 8.66 tonnes for petrol vehicles and 9.66 tonnes for BEVs when renewable energy and recycling are not factored in. However, with 100 percent renewable energy use and full recycling, manufacturing emissions drop sharply to 2.89 tonnes for petrol vehicles and 2.54 tonnes for BEVs, giving electric vehicles a clear advantage.
The report highlighted that BEVs convert around 90 percent of electricity into traction energy, compared with less than 25 percent efficiency for petrol engines. This fundamental efficiency gap significantly lowers overall energy demand and associated emissions for electric vehicles.
Looking ahead, the study projected that by 2040, advanced recycling technologies could recover up to 95 percent of critical materials used in vehicles and reduce manufacturing emissions by 30 to 40 percent. In contrast, petrol vehicles remain constrained by their carbon-intensive combustion process, with nearly 80 percent of their total lifecycle emissions generated during operation and limited scope for further efficiency gains.
“This study arrives at a moment when India can no longer afford to delay decisive action on transportation emissions. BEVs are not just marginally better, they are decisively superior to petrol vehicles in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even with our current electricity mix,” said Dr. Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Chairman of Immersive Technology and Entrepreneurship Labs.
The report emphasized that the transition to electric vehicles must be accompanied by a shift toward renewable electricity generation and comprehensive recycling of all vehicle subsystems, including batteries, to fully realize emissions reductions. (Source: IANS)
