Vehicle Lifecycle Efficiency

Reducing environmental impact across the full vehicle lifecycle.

Through our research and policy advocacy, ACEEE works to reduce vehicles’ environmental impacts across their full lifecycle, from raw material extraction and production to use and end-of-life disposal.

Our research supports efforts to reduce the upstream emissions impact of electric vehicles and get more value out of each vehicle. For example, today’s rapid growth in EV adoption will eventually produce a large volume of batteries no longer suitable for use in vehicles. Though the battery may no longer serve its initial purpose, a battery at the end of its first-life application in an EV can still retain 70–80% of its original energy storage capacity. This means the battery can be repurposed for other storage applications where energy density is a lower priority. 

GreenerCars is our assessment of the environmental impacts of every new model in the U.S. light-duty vehicle market. Released annually from 2007 to 2024, GreenerCars findings are based on a lifecycle assessment of the greenhouse gas and criteria pollutant emissions from the production, use, and disposal of each vehicle. Unlike other evaluations of vehicles’ health and environmental impact that rely solely on fuel efficiency, GreenerCars assesses the upstream emissions generated by the electricity a vehicle uses, emissions produced during the mining and processing of minerals for batteries, and emissions from manufacturing vehicles and vehicle components. People can use these scores to make the greenest purchase that meets their mobility needs.