New ADEME statement on electric cars

As fuel prices rise, pushing more drivers to adopt electric vehicles, Ademe has recently released an 18-page document titled “The Electric Car and Its Charging.”

Carbon footprint

According to Ademe, it is clear that “over its entire life cycle, the carbon footprint of an electric car charged in France is at least half that of its thermal or hybrid alternatives.” This is due to the significantly lower carbon content of the energy used compared to gasoline or diesel. This ultimately offsets, more or less quickly depending on the model, the higher greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle production, with about half of that reduction coming from the battery.

The carbon footprint of an electric city car with a range of 200 km is around 8 tons of CO2 equivalent, of which 3.6 tons comes from the battery. For an SUV with a WLTP mixed-cycle range of 650 km, the footprint is nearly 20 tons, with 11.3 tons attributable to the lithium battery pack.

For comparison, with an equivalent non-rechargeable hybrid compact car, the carbon debt from manufacturing would be offset after approximately 70,000 kilometers driven with an electric vehicle. This applies to models such as the Renault Megane E-Tech, Citroën ë-C4, or Peugeot e-308, which have a range of around 430 km. After 240,000 kilometers, the carbon footprint would be 2.25 times lower.

Other environmental benefits

The organization remembers that an electric vehicle, due to its battery, contains “six times more critical metals and minerals than a conventional model,” noting that these materials are not consumed and can therefore be recycled at the end of their life. Depending particularly on the chemistry of the cells, if the battery does not have a second life for stationary energy storage after 240,000 kilometers, recycling the battery pack could reduce its carbon footprint by 2 to 11%. This option is encouraged by Europe, which has already established recycling rates and recovery targets for lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

Among their other environmental benefits, electric vehicles “contribute to reducing noise levels in cities.” It is true that at speeds above 30 km/h, rolling noises begin to offset part of this advantage. However, Ademe notes that when accelerating at this speed, “the maximum noise level produced by a conventional vehicle is more than doubled.”

Finally, there is no exhaust system behind an electric vehicle, so there are no emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides. Nevertheless, particulate emissions from brake components, tires, and the road surface still exist. Even with a higher weight due to the battery, electric vehicles would not perform worse than conventional vehicles because of reduced use of mechanical brakes.

More Accessible EVs

It is difficult to clearly compare the prices of gasoline and electric vehicles. Ademe rightly points out that “the battery is an important component of the price of an electric vehicle.” There can be a difference of 10,000 euros between a model rated at 400 km WLTP and its version with up to 600 km range. However, the price of electric vehicles tends to be lower compared to gasoline vehicles with which they are regularly compared.

By choosing electric vehicles with high eco-scores, it is possible to approach, and sometimes even go below, the prices of gasoline and diesel vehicles. Building on this, social leasing has also changed the landscape: “In 2024, 41% of new electric vehicles were purchased by half of the lowest-income households, compared to 20% in 2022.”

The agency explains that opting for used vehicles can be advantageous, as electric vehicles typically lose value more quickly, retaining only 43% of their original price after five years, compared to 51% for conventional vehicles. However, recent developments show that things are changing due to rising fuel prices, which are boosting the used electric vehicle market. This is further supported by studies indicating that battery health levels remain stable over time: “With average degradation of 1.7 to 2.3% per year, they can maintain an average residual capacity of 89% after 200,000 kilometers.”

Savings Over Time

Charging is where not all drivers are on equal footing. Including roaming and home charging, Ademe notes that it is “about three times less expensive than filling up with fossil fuels.” Further in its report, it states that “the vast majority of charging today takes place at private chargers,” adding that “84% of users have a charging point at home or nearby.”

If this rate is so high, it’s precisely because the vast majority of drivers who cannot charge at home—those living in urban homes without garages or accessible yards, in social housing, especially in apartment complexes without parking spaces—do not opt for electric vehicles. For them, aside from the difficulty of charging, the cost per kilowatt-hour is often much higher. Critically, there still lacks a state-supported system to enable those without fixed charging points to access electricity at the same rate as electric vehicle owners who have a way to charge at home.

As Ademe indicates, a good trick for reducing operating costs is to practice eco-driving. This can be done by letting the car handle things on its own after setting lower speeds, such as 100 km/h on roads with a limit of 110 km/h, or 110 km/h on highways. Alternatively, a more proactive approach involves using features like coasting mode when available and adjusting the regenerative braking strength.

Regarding maintenance, Ademe estimates potential savings of 40%. Again, significant differences can be expected depending on the manufacturer, and even among different dealerships for the same brand. Just like with conventional vehicles, don’t hesitate to compare service options among different providers.

Download Ademe’s report