EV Carbon Footprint Calculator
Created by: Liam Turner. Last updated:
Estimate annual operational charging emissions with your electricity factor, consumption measurement basis and charging efficiency.
Annual operational electricity emissions
Estimate emissions associated with electricity used to charge an EV. This is not a lifecycle assessment: manufacture, battery production, maintenance and end-of-life are excluded.
Formula
Annual wall electricity = annual distance × consumption per distance. For battery-side consumption, divide by charging efficiency expressed as a fraction. Annual emissions in kg = wall electricity in kWh × emissions factor in g/kWh / 1,000.
Example
10,000 miles at 300 Wh/mile measured at the wall uses 3,000 kWh. An illustrative factor of 200 g CO2e/kWh gives 600 kg CO2e. The same battery-side consumption at 90% charging efficiency instead requires 3,333.33 kWh and gives 666.67 kg CO2e.
Choosing an emissions factor
Enter a documented factor for your electricity supply, region and reporting year. Match its label: CO2 covers carbon dioxide; CO2e expresses greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide equivalents. eGRID generation factors do not automatically include all upstream fuel emissions or grid delivery losses. The displayed result inherits the scope of your chosen factor.
Zero distance or a zero factor produces zero annual emissions. Per-distance emissions are undefined when distance is zero.
Sources and measurement guidance
- EPA Automotive Trends Report, Appendix E: electricity consumption at the wall includes charging losses.
- EPA eGRID summary data: regional electricity emissions factors. Match the reporting year and CO2 or CO2e measure.
- US Department of Energy: electric vehicle charging.