Factsheets

Types of Electric Vehicles

• Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), or all-electric vehicles, are powered exclusively by an electric motor and onboard battery that is usually recharged from the grid.¹ They perform best in moderate temperatures and offer better range in cities due to regenerative braking.² BEVs produce no tailpipe emissions, though their electricity source may still generate emissions.³
• Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) use both an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor with a battery that can be charged from the grid, enabling the vehicle to run on liquid fuel and in all-electric mode. PHEVs can travel 20–40 mi on electricity before switching to gasoline.¹ In this factsheet, both PHEVs and BEVs are referred to as EVs.
• Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) use an ICE and one or more electric motors that use energy stored in a battery. Unlike in BEVs and PHEVs, an HEV battery is charged by the ICE and regenerative braking rather than by plugging in.¹
• Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) convert energy stored as hydrogen into electricity using a fuel cell. Like BEVs, FCEVs produce no harmful tailpipe emissions—only water vapor, oxygen, and heat. Their environmental impact depends on the hydrogen production process.⁴
• Vehicles that produce no emissions from the onboard power source—including BEVs and FCEVs—are called zero emission vehicles (ZEVs).²
   

Electric Vehicle Comparison¹³

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Electric Vehicle Technology

• Since BEVs run solely on electricity, they do not have ICEs, liquid fuel components, or exhaust systems.⁵
• Electric motors drive the wheels using energy from a traction battery pack, which stores electricity for this purpose. Some EVs use motors with both drive and regeneration functions.⁵
• Battery size, chemistry, and vehicle efficiency determine the vehicle’s range. New BEVs offer 114–450 mi on a full charge.²
• BEVs use three types of lithium-ion batteries: lithium iron phosphate (LFP), lithium manganese cobalt oxide (NMC), and lithium nickel-cobalt-aluminum oxide (NCA).2 LFP is low-cost and prevalent in China. NMC is common in the U.S. and EU.⁶
• EVs can be charged using electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) at varying speeds. Level 1 (standard outlet) can take 40+ hours to charge a BEV to 80%. Level 2 can charge in as little as 4 hours, while Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) can take as little as 20 minutes.⁷
• Level 2 and DCFC chargers are available at many public locations. In 2021, over 15% of public EVSE were DCFC. ^7,8

Overview of EV Chargers⁷

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Current Market

Market Leaders

• In Q1 2025, BEVs, PHEVs, and HEVs made up 22% of light-duty vehicle (LDV) sales in the U.S., up from 18% in 2024.⁹ 
  In 2024, 1.3M BEVs made up 7.9% of LDV sales, PHEVs were 1.9%, and HEVs were 10%. In 2010, BEVs accounted for only 0.002% of LDVs sold in the U.S.¹⁰
• In 2024, over 20% of new car sales globally were EVs, with 17M sold. The 3.5M increase in sales from 2023 surpassed total global EV sales in 2020. Almost 50% of China’s car sales in 2024 were EVs, representing 64% of global EV sales. Europe made up 20% and the U.S. 10%.6 Norway neared total electrification of sales, with 88% being BEVs and 3% PHEVs.⁶
• Government spending on EVs declined from 10% in 2017 to 7% in 2024, as credits and incentives phased out. However, buyer spending on EVs grew, reaching $560B in 2024.⁶
   

Policies and Incentives

• In 2023, California approved a first-in-nation ZEV regulation, requiring 100% of new LDVs sold to be ZEVs by 2035.¹⁴ By the end of 2023, 17 states and DC had adopted ZEV regulations.¹⁵
• Under the Inflation Reduction Act, eligible new EV purchases qualified for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 through 2032. Recent legislation reverts this to September 2025.^11,16
• Taxpayers who purchase eligible used EVs from licensed dealers for $25,000 or less in through September 2025 may qualify for a federal  tax credit of up to $4,000.^11,17
• Caps on vehicle price and income are intended to prevent subsidizing purchases for high-income buyers.¹⁸ From 2005–2012, the top 20% of income earners received 90% of EV tax credits.¹⁹
• Check fueleconomy.gov for vehicles eligible for the Clean Vehicle Credits.
• Businesses and tax-exempt organizations that purchase a qualified commercial vehicle through 2025 may qualify for a clean vehicle tax credit of up to $7,500 for vehicles under 14,000 lbs and up to $40,000 for larger vehicles.^16,20
• The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit allows taxpayers to claim up to $1,000 for EV charger and hardware installation through 2032.²¹
• In 2023, 14 state governments provided BEV incentives for buyers, with an average value of around $2,000.¹⁵ CA, CO, CT, MA, ME, OR, PA, and RI offered additional incentives to low-income buyers, or those living in air pollution districts.^15,23
• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act allocated $7.5B to build a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers.²⁴
   

Limitations and Barriers

• Most critical minerals used in BEVs are found in the electric motors (neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium) and batteries (lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and graphite).²⁵
• Permanent-magnet motors are the most common motor in electric vehicles. They can contain 0.06-0.35 kg of rare earth elements, 0.25-0.50 kg neodymium, 3-6 kg copper, 0.9-2 kg iron, and 0.01-0.03 kg boron per vehicle.²⁵
• Lithium-ion batteries in BEVs consist of cells in modules within the battery pack, making up 70-85% of battery weight. These batteries contain minerals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and copper. As a result, BEVs contain about six times more minerals by mass than ICEVs.²⁵
• Lithium recycling infrastructure could reduce supply chain pressure, but recovery remains challenging due to the lack of battery standardization, limited regulation, and high operational costs.^26,27
• Low-income households face the highest EV energy burden; the share of income spent on charging costs.²⁸ Adopting EVs would reduce both GHGs and energy burden for over 90% of vehicle-owning U.S. households.²⁸
• China and the EU have steadily expanded charging networks in line with EV growth. The U.S. and U.K. have lagged, with the U.S. reaching a ratio of 32 EVs per public charging point.⁶
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $5B to develop fast charger networks. By 2024, only $30M had been spent on operational charging points. A 2025 executive order paused further disbursements making future funding uncertain.⁶
• In 2023, the U.S. had 68,475 electric charging stations and 184,089 charging ports, double the number in 2018.²⁹
• Demand for EVs is projected to reach 33M by 2030. This would require a national network of 28M charging ports, including 26.8M private and 1.2M public ports.³⁰
   

Solutions and Sustainable Actions

• On average, new BEVs across the U.S. have 57% lower total life cycle GHG emissions than comparable ICEVs (pickup, SUV, sedan). BEVs generate roughly twice the production phase emissions of ICEVs, largely during battery production.³¹
• BEVs do not directly emit PM, NOx, and other pollutants linked to air quality issues that disproportionately impact low income communities.