I’ve heard various claims on how long it takes for an EV to be a better choice than a gas powered car as far as CO2 emissions go. Lots of times it’s some generic time claim, like ‘2 years’. But that doesn’t account for how many miles are driven, or the gas car being used in the calculation. I found this calculator that lets you pick the specific EV, the mpg of the gas car, and your location (different areas of the country fuel their electricity with different mix of fossil fuels, solar, etc.).
I make no claim to its accuracy, but it covers all the important factors for the comparision:
The carbon payback distance for my standard 2023 Model 3 RWD compared to my old 2017 4-cyl Accord is about 15,000 miles according to this calculator.
Edit: The calculator doesn’t say whether I should use the actual capacity of the battery or the usable capacity. In the first calculation I used actual capacity (62 kWh). If I calculate with the usable capacity (50 kWh), the carbon payback distance drops to 12,000 miles.
Don’t forget to include the increased Road Use Tax that states add to the yearly registration fees for EVs. Here in Virginia the Road use tax for an EV is $131 on top of the normal registration fee… They add $33 to the registration fee for my 2019 Honda Fit due to its “Fuel sipping capability…” I think Michigan has the highest, near $270, on top of the normal registration fee…
Many states are reconsidering that fee for EVs as they are 20% to 30% heavier than gas cars. This extra weight is due to heavy battery packs. Some policymakers and trucking groups argue this extra weight causes faster wear and tear on roads, and use it to justify higher taxes.
$225/YR Here in WA for ev’s although if they get around to copying Oregon ev tax relief you pay per mile getting any gas tax back for a phev or hybrid.
That’s cut my parents desire for an ev that mostly would rack up 5,000mi/yr. Need a 300mi range at least to go visit the grandkids without having to plan charging. We’ll stick to hybrid or go phev once Mom feels like replacing her 17yr old prius
Don’t forget the gasoline tax I don’t pay when driving a BEV. It’s important that all drivers pay for the roads hey use. The only way to get that from a BEV driver is to increase the registration fees.
Good point, I think some folks here think this calculator is for financial payback. It is not. It calculates how many miles one has to drive an EV to end up with lower CO2 emissions than the chosen gas vehicle (as specified by mpgs). No $ calculations involved.
Yes it does create CO2, once a person finds out that there is a sur-charge on the license plates for an EV, it takes their breath away… I have read many postings of the members bragging about their gas mileage, but not one has ever written in bragging about how little CO2 their ICE vehicle puts out per mile…
The US Average – all vehicle classes is about 400 grams (nearly 1 pound) of tailpipe carbon dioxide (CO2) per mile. Or just over 4.5 Metric tons on 11,500 miles driven a year…
Very, very few folks buy a vehicle solely based on one factor (excludes Color… ) and many factors play into the decision besides its Carbon Footprint; such as vehicle cost, extra charges, extra fees, etc…
Now, with that being said, I absolutely believe the environment is suffering… But there is no grassroots effort that is making any real-meaningful impact, judging from the line-up of Big Vehicles offered by the major auto makers…
So, if you are going to buy an EV with the intent of having lowest Carbon Footprint, then you need to go in Eye Wide Open.
I just renewed my PHEV’s NJ registration, and it was $64.50. I was expecting a fee increase, but–so far–they haven’t increased registration fees for PHEVs.
EV’s can’t offset the electric use of these large data centers. 5-10 of these centers use more electricity than ALL THE EV’s COMBINED. And there are literally THOUSANDS of these large data centers
Exactly. Somehow the conversation about energy use in hybrids and EV usually gets conflated with dollars. The point of hybrids and EVs is to use less gasoline. If you can’t afford to use less gas then stick with a conventional powertrain.
You registered a fairly new car for $64.50? I pay 3 times that for a 12 year old car. My wife’s 2018 is about $300/year if I remember correctly.
Henrico County, VA learned–belatedly–that they shouldn’t have welcomed a very large number of data centers to their area. Now, everyone will suffer with higher utility rates, as a result of those data centers.
) and many factors play into the decision besides its Carbon Footprint; such as vehicle cost, extra charges, extra fees, etc…