Electric vehicles (EVs) demonstrate significantly higher energy efficiency compared to traditional gasoline cars, driven by differences in energy conversion and utilization.
Energy conversion efficiency
Gasoline vehicles waste ~75-84% of energy as heat and friction, converting only 16-25% of gasoline’s energy into movement. EVs, however, use 87-91% of battery energy for propulsion, including regenerative braking recovery. This makes EVs 3-4 times more efficient in energy use.
Operational cost comparisons
For 300 miles driven:
- Gasoline car (24.4 mpg): ~$38.55 at $3.16/gallon
- EV (2.89 miles/kWh): ~$26.16 at 25.2¢/kWh
At 15,000 annual miles, EVs save ~$634/year (33% lower costs).
Carbon efficiency
Even accounting for electricity generation emissions, EVs produce ~200 grams CO₂/mile over their lifetime compared to 350+ grams for gasoline cars. The efficiency advantage grows as grids adopt more renewable energy.
Key efficiency drivers
- Regenerative braking recaptures kinetic energy, unlike gasoline braking systems that dissipate energy as heat.
- Simplified drivetrains reduce energy losses compared to internal combustion engines.
These factors make EVs 4.4 times more energy-efficient than gasoline equivalents on a combined drive cycle, with city driving showing a 5.1x efficiency advantage.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-the-energy-efficiency-of-evs-compare-to-traditional-gasoline-cars/
