Sustainable mobility statistics: detailed report for each European country

Over 40% of energy is generated from renewable sources

One of the main arguments of those who claim that electric cars pollute more is that the electricity used to charge them still comes largely from fossil sources. Although this was true in the past, today the energy landscape is changing dramatically. According to the most recent statistics from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of electricity produced from renewable sources continues to grow. In many European countries, wind, solar and hydropower already cover a significant part of demand. For example, in 2023, the European Union generated more than 40 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources (Eurostat). In countries such as Germany and Spain, renewables exceeded 50% of total electricity production (IEA). Italy has seen strong growth in photovoltaics and wind power, increasingly reducing dependence on gas and coal (GSE - Gestore Servizi Energetici [Energy Services Operator]). This means that as the electricity grid becomes cleaner, the carbon footprint of electric cars also decreases.
The table compares the production of energy from renewable sources with total electricity consumption for some of the major European countries in 2024, showing both the production in terawatt-hours (TWh) and the percentage of total consumption:

The life cycle of electric cars

To assess the environmental impact of a car, one has to consider its entire life cycle, which includes material production and assembly, use and consumption, disposal and recycling. Electric cars have a greater impact in the production phase than internal combustion cars, mainly due to the battery, which requires mineral resources such as lithium, cobalt and nickel. However, this “CO2 debt” is quickly offset in the use phase due to the total absence of direct emissions and the increasing use of electricity from renewable sources.

In-use emissions: the advantage of electric vehicles

Thermal vehicles, even the most modern and advanced, emit CO2 constantly throughout their entire life cycle, burning fossil fuels such as petrol or diesel. Even the most efficient engines with low CO2 emissions per kilometre travelled cannot eliminate this problem completely. On the contrary, electric vehicles produce no direct emissions while driving. It is true that the production of the electricity needed to power them can generate CO2, but this is where a key aspect comes into play: the energy transition. Studies and statistics conducted by independent research institutes show that an electric car, depending on the energy mix of the country in which it is used, can compensate for the increased impact of battery production over a period of between 10,000 and 30,000 km driven. Considering that a car has an average service life of around 200,000 km, the ecological advantage of electric cars is obvious.

Sustainable urban mobility

In the context of sustainable urban mobility, the adoption of electric utility vehicles, such as delivery vans, refuse collection vehicles or vehicles for cleaning and maintaining streets or parks, is crucial. Through integration with renewable energy, these vehicles can further reduce the environmental impact of the entire urban transport system. Cities suffer from high levels of air and noise pollution, as evidenced by statics and more, and commercial vehicles contribute significantly to these emissions. This is why many cities are already encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles for public transport and urban logistics. The ecological transition is underway, and every step towards cleaner mobility contributes to reducing our impact on the planet. The adoption of electric utility vehicles plays a key role in improving the quality of life in cities, reducing pollution and operating costs.