New Report Reveals EV Trucks Better At Slashing GHG Than Other EV Offerings

The quest to cut greenhouse gases has been an enduring challenge that has been a part of the automotive landscape for the past several decades. A new report suggests that a particular slice of the EV segment has the potential to be surprisingly effective at slashing greenhouse gases, EV pickups

EV Pickups A Surprising Solution To Save The Planet

The report comes from the University of Michigan which embarked on a long-term study to try and find out how we could cut our greenhouse gas emissions even further. The researchers focused their sights on pickup trucks and claim that actions in this segment could potentially see EV pickups become a key tool in saving the planet.

Part of their findings came from looking at the pickup segment itself, and what's available in the market now. It's no secret that full-size pickups make up the bulk of sales in the current automotive market and these large vehicles often put fuel economy far behind towing, cargo hauling, and passenger comfort though recent hybrid and EV offerings from Toyota and several other automakers are aiming to change that narrative and bring fuel economy into a higher standing.

The study claims that if every pickup truck were to switch to a pure electric layout, it would help remove a massive amount of C02 emissions with a single ICE-powered pickup generating 74 metric tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Multiply that by the millions of pickups currently on the road right now, and the emission reduction would be vast and noticeable.

“This is an important study to inform and encourage climate action. Our research clearly shows substantial greenhouse gas emission reductions that can be achieved from transitioning to electrified powertrains across all vehicle classes,” said study senior author Greg Keoleian, a professor at the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability and director of the Center for Sustainable Systems.

EV Truck Benefit Higher Than Other Segments

Another slice of this study revealed that the benefits in carbon reduction would also be higher than both EV sedans and SUVs with a single offering from both segments being responsible for 45 and 56 metric tons of carbon dioxide during their respective lifetimes. Those figures are also alot when you multiply how many vehicles have been produced, but the pickups still have the biggest benefit according to the study.

All three segments also achieve lower cradle to grave emissions with 64 percent fewer greenhouse gases versus pure ICE-equipped vehicles. That means that there will be benefits in regards to eliminating greenhouse emissions but the biggest impact will be in specific segments, especially ones that generate the highest amount of greenhouse emissions and would see the most immediate impact when they are switched to all-electric powertrains.

Photo Credit: Chevrolet

Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. In addition to his specialization with Ford, he grew up in a General Motors household and is extensively familiar with their products too. Contact Carl on Twitter at @CarlMalek3, on Instagram and Facebook for automotive news to send news tips.