Comparative measurements of the energy consumption of 51 electric, hybrid and internal combustion engine vehicles

This paper presents the measured energy consumption of a range of “fuel efficient” vehicles over a 57 mile urban/extra-urban route. The results show that on average the electric vehicles used the least amount of energy (0.62 MJ/km average), followed by the hybrid vehicles (1.14 MJ/km), and internal combustion engine vehicles (1.68 MJ/km). Estimates of CO2 emissions finds that hybrids gave the lowest CO2 emissions, with around half of the vehicles emitting less than 70 g CO2/km. The most efficient diesel combustion engine vehicles emitted about 80 g CO2/km but the majority exceeded 110 g CO2/km. The majority of electric vehicles emitted 70–110 g CO2/km assuming a UK grid average emissions factor of 542 g CO2/km.

► The energy consumption of 51 “fuel efficient” vehicles was measured. ► On average, electric vehicles used the least amount of energy, then hybrids, then ICE vehicles. ► Estimates of CO2 emissions found that hybrids had the lowest CO2 emissions.