How Much Heavier Are Electric Vehicles? Here Are the Facts

Many negative stories about battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are grounded in the fact that EVs are heavier than conventionally powered vehicles of similar size and passenger volume. The pro-EV crowd says the stories are nonsense, since the weight of EVs is “similar” to conventional vehicles. The other side disagrees apparently, since they wrote stories based on the weight of EVs being a major factor. Let’s not use a straw man argument about these stories. Here are some specific stories that cast BEVs in a negative light that are based on the EVs having a heavier weight:

-IIHS Says EVs Are Dangerous Due to Weight
-Wall Street Journal Story Says EV Weight Contributes to Particulate Pollution
-The Telegraph Says Heavy EVs Cause Twice As Much Road Damage (Potholes)
-Automotive News Says Heavier EVs Cause Safety and Pollution Problems
-Gizmodo Says Heavy EVs Wear Out Tires Super Fast In Warm Climates
-Grist Says Heavy EVs Shed More Air Pollution From Tires Due to Weight

In this story, your author will not choose a side. Instead, I’ll simply lay out facts related to electric vehicles. For the weight of the vehicles in this story, I will use Motor Trend test and review data for the weight of the vehicles listed. This is a respectable outlet and I prefer to use their measurements than to use manufacturer’s data when it is available. 

When it comes to delivery data, there are only two segments that matter: sedans and crossover SUVs. That’s because the auto industry has not yet moved toward electric trucks in great numbers - yet. That is the direction the industry seems pointed, but so far, the GMC Hummer, Ford F-150 Lightning, the Rivian R1T, and the Tesla Cybertruck don’t add up to a hill of beans in terms of ownership numbers- yet. Massive SUVs from Hummer and large SUVs from Rivian and Kia are in production, but again, relative to the volume of sedans and crossover SUVs, they don’t add up to any meaningful numbers. We will do a separate story on those future players. 

How Much Heavier Are Battery-Electric Sedans Compared to Other Types of Cars?
Our first analysis examines the top-selling battery-electric sedan, the Tesla Model 3. For our comparison, we selected the Standard Range, rear-wheel drive version of the Model 3. It has less mass than the other Model 3 trims, so any contrast with other types of vehicles will favor the Model 3. In other words, we are being kind to the EV here. For comparison, we chose a variety of popular and high-volume cars similar in size to the Model 3. The Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle and a top seller of its type, so we used it even though it is a smidge smaller and technically a five-door hatchback. 

Our analysis revealed that the Tesla Model 3 SR, in its rear-wheel drive trim, has an additional 846 pounds, 27% more than the conventionally powered Honda Civic's weight, which is virtually identical in size. The Model 3 is 821 pounds heavier than a Hyundai Elantra Hybrid-electric vehicle, which equates to a 26% difference in mass. The Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle. The U.S. Department of Energy considers PHEVs “EVs.” That drives the EVangelists crazy, but it is what it is. The PHEV is 295 pounds lighter than the BEV in our comparison, so it is roughly half-way between the conventional car and a BEV in terms of weight.

The Model Y is the top-selling BEV, and we used its least expensive AWD version for our weight comparison since it is a crossover SUV. The RAV4 and the CR-V are the closest two top-sellers in its size category. The RAV4 is available in three different powertrain configurations. Its PHEV version has a slightly higher weight than the Tesla Model Y BEV. The Model Y is 1,000 pounds greater in mass than the RAV4 base trim, which equates to about a 30% heavier weight. 

Weight Comparison - Battery Electric Vehicles vs. Conventionally-Powered Vehicles

Our data shows that electric sedans are about 821 pounds heavier than comparably-sized conventionally-powered sedans. That equates to a 27% weight disparity. The Model Y electric crossover SUV is 1,000 pounds heavier than comparably-sized conventionally-powered crossover SUV, which equates to a 30% weight disparity.

Charts and images by John Goreham. 

John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can follow John on Twitter, and connect with him at Linkedin.