Petrol vs electric car: the true carbon footprint compared

The question that divides: is the electric car really greener?

Is the electric car really better for the climate than its combustion engine counterpart? This seemingly simple question hides a far more nuanced reality. Proponents of the internal combustion engine brandish the "polluting battery manufacturing" argument. Defenders of electric vehicles counter with zero emissions during use. The truth, as often, lies in a full life cycle analysis — and it leans clearly, though not without nuance, in favor of electric.

In 2025, with electric vehicle sales already representing more than 20% of new registrations in France (according to Avere-France), it is time to take stock with updated data and rigorous methodology.

The LCA method: the only valid approach for comparison

To honestly compare a combustion engine car and an electric car, you need to use Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which takes into account all stages of a vehicle's life:

1. Raw material extraction
2. Manufacturing of the vehicle and its components
3. The use phase (fuel or electricity)
4. Maintenance and repairs
5. End of life (dismantling, recycling)

Any comparison that does not include all of these phases is incomplete and potentially misleading. Results also vary significantly depending on the country of use — due to the national electricity mix — and the vehicle lifetime assumed for the calculation.

Manufacturing phase: electric starts with a handicap

This is indisputable: manufacturing an electric car generates more CO2 emissions than manufacturing its combustion engine equivalent. Most of this difference comes from the lithium-ion battery.

For a mid-range compact electric sedan (60 to 80 kWh battery), manufacturing generates between 10 and 15 additional tonnes of CO2e compared to an equivalent combustion engine sedan, according to studies from ADEME, Transport & Environment, and the International Energy Agency.

This additional carbon cost at manufacturing is explained by:

• The extraction of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese needed for battery cells
• The refining and processing of these materials, often carried out in Asia with a still highly carbon-intensive electricity mix
• The assembly of battery modules and packs, an energy-intensive process

However, manufacturing the rest of the electric vehicle (chassis, body, interior) is comparable, or even slightly less carbon-intensive than that of a combustion engine car, as it does not require manufacturing a complex combustion engine, gearbox, or exhaust system.

Use phase: electric quickly makes up its deficit

This is where everything shifts. During the use phase, the electric vehicle produces drastically fewer emissions, provided the electricity used for charging is itself low-carbon.

The French case: a decisive advantage

France benefits from one of the most decarbonized electricity mixes in Europe, thanks to its nuclear fleet. The carbon intensity of French electricity is approximately 55 g of CO2 per kWh (source: RTE, 2024 data), compared to over 400 g/kWh in Germany or Poland.

Concretely, per 100 km driven:

• A gasoline combustion engine car (average consumption 7 L/100 km): approximately 16 kg of CO2e
• An electric car charged in France (consumption 18 kWh/100 km): approximately 1 kg of CO2e

The ratio is approximately 1 to 16 in favor of electric during the use phase, which allows the initial manufacturing "carbon deficit" to be recovered in 20,000 to 40,000 km of driving, depending on the model and charging conditions.

To learn more about the carbon impact of fossil fuels, our article on CO2 emissions from a tank of gasoline will give you precise figures on this topic.

Emissions vary depending on the charging method

Not all charging is equal from a climate perspective:

• Nighttime home charging: often associated with more decarbonized electricity (less industrial consumption, more wind production at night)
• Peak-hour charging: may mobilize gas plants in France or coal plants in Central Europe
• Charging with a certified green electricity plan: can further reduce the footprint, provided the guarantees of origin are solid

The battery: durability, degradation, and replacement

A frequently cited argument against electric vehicles concerns battery lifespan. In reality, data accumulated over ten years from the first generation of mass-market electric vehicles shows much better resilience than expected.

Current model batteries are generally warranted for 8 years or 160,000 km, with a maximum capacity loss of 20 to 30%. Studies on first-generation Tesla Model S vehicles show an average degradation of only 10% after 300,000 km — better than initial estimates.

In the scenario where the battery must be replaced at the end of its first life, its carbon impact is added to the total assessment. But several options are emerging:

• Second life for batteries: batteries degraded to 70-80% of their initial capacity remain usable as stationary storage systems (for individuals or businesses), extending their usefulness before recycling
• Closed-loop recycling: European battery recycling plants are progressively opening (Northvolt in Sweden, Eramet in France), reducing the recycling footprint and the need for virgin raw materials

End of life: progressive advantage to electric

The end of life of a combustion engine vehicle involves, among other things, the treatment of fluids (engine oil, coolant, catalytic converter), which represent non-negligible local pollution, in addition to emissions linked to dismantling.

For electric vehicles, the main issue is battery recycling. If the European recycling industry scales up and material recovery rates increase (target of 90% for lithium by 2030 under the European battery regulation), the end-of-life footprint will progressively become favorable to electric.

Overall assessment over 200,000 km: key figures

Over the typical lifetime of a vehicle in France (approximately 200,000 km), the comparative carbon assessment of a compact sedan is approximately as follows:

• Gasoline combustion engine sedan: 40 to 55 tonnes of CO2e (of which 70% is linked to the use phase)
• Electric sedan charged in France: 15 to 25 tonnes of CO2e (of which 50 to 60% is linked to battery manufacturing)

That is a 50 to 60% reduction in emissions over the entire life cycle — a considerable gain, even though significant margins of uncertainty remain depending on the assumptions used.

"Even using the most carbon-intensive electricity in Europe, the electric vehicle emits less CO2 over its life cycle than a comparable combustion engine car. With the French mix, the comparison is decisive."

— Transport & Environment Analysis, 2024

Other dimensions not to overlook

The carbon footprint is not the only relevant criterion:

• Air quality: electric vehicles emit no nitrogen oxides (NOx) or fine particles from the tailpipe — a major advantage for health in urban areas
• Noise: the silence of electric motors reduces noise pollution, particularly in cities
• Mining extraction: dependence on critical metals (cobalt in the DRC, lithium in South America) raises legitimate ethical and geopolitical questions, even though substitution and recycling efforts are progressing
• Total cost of ownership: despite a higher purchase price, the cost per kilometer driven is generally lower for electric, thanks to reduced energy and maintenance costs

To integrate these reflections into a comprehensive approach to reducing your daily footprint, our practical guide on how to reduce your carbon footprint in daily life will offer you concrete, prioritized actions.

Conclusion: electric wins, but the system must improve

Over the entire life cycle and in the context of the French electricity mix, the electric car emits significantly less CO2 than its combustion engine equivalent. This finding is now firmly supported by dozens of independent studies. But this verdict should not obscure the remaining challenges: improving battery durability and recycling, decarbonizing raw material production, developing renewable energy to power charging, and rethinking our relationship with individual mobility as a whole. The electric car is a necessary transition — not a definitive solution.