Why is the Electrification of Transport Important?

With climate change intensifying, the need to decarbonize a key contributor – road transport – is urgent and acute. With more than 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the activity releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, diminishing the quality of lives led by millions.

To reform the sector, a viable solution – transport electrification – is slowly gaining ground. In this blog, we dive deep into this concept – by understanding its meaning, its ability to reduce GHG emissions and comparing it with other sustainable transport alternatives, we help readers understand the impact road transport electrification can deliver.

Getting to the Bottom of It : What Is Transport Electrification?

Transport Electrification, or more specifically road transport electrification, involves adopting electric means of road transport instead of ones running on fossil fuels. The latter, by burning petrol and diesel for energy, are responsible for the widespread urban air pollution faced today.

By replacing them with electric vehicles, we can substantially reduce emissions from this activity. In order to understand the same, we compare the impact of EVs and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEVs) on the environment.

Clearing the Fog : Are EVs Truly Greener than Petrol-cars?

With Electric Vehicles being promoted by every leading authority on climate, a number of people have analyzed their impact on the environment. Throughout these studies, we find that despite EVs causing more emissions during production, they are able to offset the damage through their lifecycle.

• In a Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of Road Vehicles in the UK, researchers found that 46% of EVs’ emissions occur during production, compared to 23% for the standard petrol vehicle. Yet, at the end of 150,000 kilometers, an EV releases 5 tons lesser CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) than the petrol car.
• In a meta-analysis of six prominent studies in India, researchers from IIT Roorkee found that EVs emit up to 38 per cent less CO₂e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per kilometer compared to ICEVs in the passenger car segment in India.
• When BloombergNEF analyzed a medium-sized EV’s emissions across US, China, Germany, the UK and Japan, they found it would be 27-71% lower than those of equivalent ICE vehicles.

Thus, the studies make the positive environmental impact of EV’s clear. However, there’s a crucial factor which determines how clean they eventually are: the share of renewable energy in the grid.

The X Factor : The Role of Renewable Energy in Clean Transport Electrification

In the past few years, the share of renewable power in the global energy mix has increased rapidly. From less than 19% of the global grid at the start of this century, they now produce nearly 35% of the total power generated across the world. One of the sectors positively impacted by this development is road transport.

Since EVs depend on electricity to run, the source of power determines their overall emissions. This is made clear from an IIT Madras study: an EV released 33 tons for CO₂e under the Indian grid. However, with a fully renewable grid, this dropped to merely 0.03 tonnes!

This explains the critical role played by renewable energy in clean road transport electrification.

Mull it Over : We Need More Electric Car Charging Stations

The talk about Electrification is vital, but India lacks the charging infrastructure to enable this transition. Compared to the global average of 6-20 EVs per charger, India has only 1 charger per 235 EVs! Naturally, individuals are hesitant to buy an electric vehicle and face range anxiety here.

Interested in opening an EV charging station and enabling a shift towards green mobility? Read our blog here to get vital information on the same.

Decarbonizing Transport: How EVs Compare to Other Clean Alternatives

Lastly, only one question remains: Are EVs better than other green mobility options? Here, a 2021 Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) by Ricardo comes handy.

The researchers find that compared to both plug-in hybrids and hydrogen-based engines, EVs generate lesser emissions. Moreover, with renewable capacity expected to increase in the future, the emissions are expected to drop down even further.

Data for the graph has been taken from Lifecycle Analysis of UK Road Vehicles (2021)

The above graph indicates the projected decline in emissions from EVs in the EU. If the region achieves net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the lifecycle GHG emissions will remain only a fraction of what they currently are.

The Verdict : EVs are Critical in the Fight Against Climate Change

There is no escaping it – it may be impossible to overcome climate change without electric vehicles. While there are other alternatives available, this quote from the IPCC makes their potential clear: “Electric vehicles powered by low-emissions electricity offer the largest decarbonization potential for land-based transport on a life cycle basis”.

In the past few years, EV sales have increased rapidly – from 2016 to 2024, they have multiplied nearly 20 times over. However, this isn’t enough – a far greater share of EVs is needed on the road to address the huge amount of CO2 released by petrol and diesel vehicles. Only then can we breathe clean air and protect our environment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does transport electrification actually lower emissions? Yes. Despite electric vehicles (EVs) generating more emissions during production, they can offset this impact over their lifecycle. Even with a carbon-heavy electrical grid, a BEV has lower total lifecycle emissions compared to ICEVs.
2. Why is renewable energy important for EVs? The environmental benefit of an EV is directly linked to the “cleanliness” of the electrical grid. Only with a clean, renewable-heavy grid can EVs deliver the full environmental change they promise.
3. Are hydrogen-based engines cleaner than electric vehicles? On paper, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) appear clean because they only emit water vapor. However, research shows that lower-medium segment BEVs cause release 97 grams of CO2e/km compared to FCEVs’ 169 grams of CO2e/km.
4. How fast are people switching to electric vehicles? EV adoption is growing rapidly. In 2024, one out of every five cars sold globally was electric. This shift is being driven by growing charging infrastructure and increasing monetary incentives for buyers.