Electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to significantly cut climate-altering emissions. By substituting gasoline with electricity, carbon emissions from vehicles are markedly reduced, even when factoring in emissions from electricity generation. On average, driving an EV in the United States results in the same heat-trapping emissions as a gasoline car that gets 100 miles per gallon, which is about one-fourth the emissions of the average new gasoline vehicle. Although manufacturing an EV requires more energy than a gasoline car primarily due to the battery, our lifecycle analysis shows that this energy difference is offset within 18,000 miles of driving, resulting in less than half the lifetime emissions of a comparable gasoline car.
For those tracking this issue over the past decade, it is well known that EVs are cleaner than gasoline cars. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has been reporting on this since 2012, during which time emissions from electricity generation have dropped significantly due to reduced coal usage and increased renewable energy.
Missing data complicates this year’s analysis
This year’s EV analysis update encountered a concerning issue extending beyond transportation. Although raw data on emissions from electricity generation remains accessible, the compiled dataset we depend on is no longer produced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Our analyses on the climate benefits of switching to electricity from gasoline have consistently relied on the US EPA’s Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database, known as eGRID.
The EPA describes eGRID as “the preeminent source of U.S. power sector data and a primary source of U.S. emission rates for organizations reporting location-based, Scope 2 emissions,” and considers it “valuable to those in the Federal Government, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, companies, and academia.” State and local governments use it for emission inventories and electricity labeling programs, and it provides the electricity emission factors for the EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, used by companies and cities to benchmark building energy use. It also underpins our EV Emissions Tool and over a decade of UCS analysis.
No official announcement has been made regarding the discontinuation of eGRID reporting, but the EPA’s website indicates the next update is scheduled for January 2026, with no additional details provided.
This situation is not isolated. The UCS has identified 579 instances of the Trump administration interfering with federal science, including cases where data collection was halted, datasets were deleted, and scientific guidance was suppressed. Despite the challenges with eGRID data, we were able to calculate EV emissions thanks to EPA staff making eGRID methods open source and the efforts of the Cornerstone Sustainability Data Initiative in compiling a validated 2024 eGRID dataset, representing the most recent data using this approach.
The average EV is better than the average gasoline car everywhere in the US
No matter where they are used, EVs outperform the average new gasoline car in terms of emissions. In areas covering 96% of the US population, EVs surpass even the most efficient gasoline cars available.
When evaluating electricity versus gasoline driving, we consider emissions from fuel production and use. For an electric vehicle, this includes:
- Emissions from extracting raw materials like coal and natural gas;
- Emissions from transporting these fuels to power plants;
- Emissions from burning these fuels to generate electricity;
- Electricity loss during distribution from power plants to charging stations; and
- Vehicle efficiency in using electricity.
For gasoline vehicles, emissions are assessed based on:
- Oil extraction at the source;
- Transporting crude oil to refineries;
- Refining oil into gasoline;
- Fuel delivery to gas stations; and
- Combustion of fuel in the engine.
EV emissions vary based on the electricity source for recharging, which depends on location. In regions with cleaner grids, EV emissions are significantly reduced. For instance, driving an EV in upstate New York is comparable to a gasoline car achieving 219 mpg, which is less than 12% of emissions from an average new gasoline vehicle.
Even in areas with substantial fossil fuel-based electricity generation, EVs remain a cleaner option. In Texas, where over 60% of electricity comes from fossil fuels, the average EV’s emissions equate to an 87 mpg gasoline car.
California currently has the lowest state-level emissions for driving an EV
While our analysis utilizes eGRID electric generation regions, we can also estimate state averages by considering the population distribution across grid regions within states. Although upstate New York boasts the cleanest grid, California has the lowest average emissions. Driving the average EV in California is equivalent to a gasoline car achieving 164 mpg, or less than one-sixth of the emissions from a new 2024 gasoline car. The emissions can also be expressed as grams of CO2 equivalent per mile: 64 g/mi for an EV in California compared to 409 g/mi for a new gasoline vehicle, considering both tailpipe emissions and fuel production.
Driving an efficient EV maximizes emissions benefits from switching to electricity
EV efficiency varies, with the most efficient models traveling over 4 miles per kilowatt-hour, while some electric trucks manage about 2 miles per kilowatt-hour. One kilowatt-hour can power an electric oven for 30 minutes or brew about nine pots of coffee. Selecting an efficient EV that suits your needs reduces emissions. For instance, charging an average EV in Michigan results in emissions comparable to a 62 mpg gasoline car, but opting for a model like the Lucid Air can lower emissions to an 87 mpg equivalent. A more efficient EV is also more economical to recharge.
Driving on electricity is better, for trips that require a car
Switching from gasoline to electricity can significantly reduce climate-changing emissions, and accelerating this transition is crucial to mitigating climate change’s worst effects. However, the cleanest journey is one that is not taken by car. Replacing some car trips with public transit, e-bikes, walking, or traditional bicycles can further reduce pollution and potentially eliminate tailpipe emissions and climate-altering emissions entirely. Although the current transportation system makes it challenging for many to forgo cars for every trip, using lower-emission alternatives even occasionally can have a meaningful impact.
Notes on calculations
This blog’s analysis uses methods from the 2022 report “Driving Cleaner”, with these modifications:
- Electricity generation data was updated to reflect 2024 emissions, using EPA’s eGRID methodology. The analysis was conducted by the Cornerstone Sustainability Data Initiative in March 2026, as the EPA has paused eGRID database production, with no status update. The EPA’s website lists a next planned release of “eGRID2024 in January of 2026,” but as of July 2026, this release has not been posted, and eGRID2023 remains the most recent EPA version.
- State-level emissions were estimated using a population-weighted average of eGRID subregions, based on the EPA’s designation of primary grid region at the ZIP code level.
- Upstream emissions factors now use the GREET2025 database from Argonne National Laboratory (downloaded May 1, 2026).
- Small-scale solar (residential and commercial) not included in eGRID has been estimated using state-level data from the Energy Information Agency’s Electric Power Monthly (table 1.17B) report and allocated to grid subregions using population-weighted averages based on EPA’s ZIP code subregion assignments.
- The average EV efficiency and location of EV sales (for the sales-weighted national emissions estimate) have been updated to reflect EV sales from 2016 through 2025 based on data from Atlas Public Policy.
- The most efficient gasoline vehicle available is rated at 57 mpg: the highest combined fuel economy among gasoline-only (non-plug-in) model year 2026–2027 vehicles, the 2026 Toyota Prius (2.0L 4-cylinder, front-wheel drive). This benchmark is used for comparisons, including the proportion of the population living where the average EV has lower heat-trapping emissions than any gasoline car available.
