Your Gas Car Works Fine. Consider an EV Anyway, Scientists Say.

A new study published in Science finds that replacing an internal-combustion car with an EV typically cuts lifetime climate emissions by about 50%, even when switching from a nearly new vehicle. The research by Elliot Campbell, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, specifically tested the common belief that the “greenest car is the one in your driveway,” treating emissions from producing the gas car as a sunk cost. Campbell and other experts say the emissions savings from driving an EV quickly outweigh manufacturing impacts. David Reichmuth of the Union of Concerned Scientists adds that air-pollution benefits can be larger for older vehicles, with EV break-even often around 18,000 miles.