EVs Help Vehicle Emissions Drop To Historic Low In The U.S.

Fully electric and hybrid vehicles are helping America reduce greenhouse gas emissions to record levels, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a newly published report this week. EVs are not only helping bring down harmful carbon dioxide emissions but are also increasing fleetwide fuel economy rates to record highs.

Transportation accounts for the highest share of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Fifty-seven percent of the transportation sector’s emissions come from light-duty vehicles, as per the EPA. Tailpipe emissions have been labeled as public health hazards and are directly linked to respiratory illnesses and lung diseases.

Every major automaker witnessed a drop in their real-world CO2 emissions among new vehicles sold, except Honda and Toyota. The most significant year-over-year emissions drops came from Mercedes-Benz (-68 g/mi), BMW (-39 g/mi), Kia (-17 g/mile) and Nissan (-17 g/mile). And the largest fuel economy improvements were also from these brands.

The EPA added that SUVs are now cleaner than sedans, as they’re increasingly electrified and automakers sell more of them. The category now accounts for the lowest average new-vehicle CO2 emissions as electric SUVs accounted for 36% of all MY2023 SUVs sold. Their fuel economy also has been increasing the most over the years.