Thinking of Buying an EV to Save the Planet? Read This First.

Should You Buy an EV?

Well, it depends. Maybe you should — but hey, I’m not here to tell you what to do. People buy new cars for all kinds of reasons, not just EVs. But if you’re getting one specifically to help the environment, there’s something important to keep in mind — and not many people think about it when shopping for a new car.

It’s kind of like that time I bought a reusable water bottle to be more eco-conscious...then lost it after a week and never actually used it. Not exactly the eco-friendly move, right? (don’t worry, now I have a reusable bottle which I actually use 🙂)

The truth is, making new stuff — cars included — usually isn’t great for the environment. So if you’re going to buy one, make sure it’s something you really need and that you’re actually going to use it the right way.

Say you’re thinking about swapping your current car for a brand new EV — you know, doing your bit for the planet, cutting those tailpipe emissions, and cruising in quiet, guilt-free style. Good move, right?

Well...mostly. But before you ditch your current ride, there are a few things you might not be aware of.

Lifecycle Emissions: The Big Picture

Like the fact that building an EV actually creates more CO₂ than building a regular petrol or diesel car, largely due to the energy-intensive production of lithium-ion batteries. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), while EVs are far cleaner to operate, they typically start off with a larger carbon footprint than internal combustion engine vehicles.

So while electric cars are undeniably cleaner to drive, the picture’s a bit more complicated when you zoom out and look at the whole lifecycle.

The Comparison: Petrol vs EV

Let’s say you currently drive a VW Tiguan, BMW 3 Series, or a similar car. It’s got some years on it, but it runs well — which is no surprise, especially if you service it at BM Tech 😊. You drive about 15,000 km a year, mostly around the city and suburbs.

Now you’re eyeing a brand new EV. I’ll use the Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor as our benchmark — not to endorse a brand, but to keep the numbers consistent.

Annual CO₂ Emissions:

• Petrol car: ~205 g/km x 15,000 km = ~3.1 tonnes CO₂/year

• EV (charging from the Australian grid): ~87 g/km = ~1.3 tonnes CO₂/year

Sources:

• Australian Government - National Greenhouse Accounts Factors

• Electric Vehicle Council - EV Emissions

Yes, EVs are cleaner to drive — even in Australia’s coal-heavy grid — but the upfront impact of production still matters.

Manufacturing Emissions: The Catch

Building a typical petrol SUV can emit 7–10 tonnes of CO₂. But a similar-sized EV? More like 14–16 tonnes, mostly due to the battery.

According to research published by Transport & Environment (Europe’s leading clean transport NGO), battery production accounts for a significant chunk of an EV’s lifecycle emissions — though this is improving with cleaner production methods.

Since your Tiguan, Audi A4, BMW, or whatever you drive is already built, you’re not adding anything new to the environment by keeping it. But the new EV would start with a carbon footprint nearly double that of a new petrol car.

That means it would take around 5–6 years of regular driving before the EV breaks even environmentally. If it’s a bigger EV like a Kia EV9, you’re probably looking at 7+ years.

So... Should You Buy One?

Honestly, it depends.

If your current car is still in good shape (at BM Tech we can certainly help you with that), the greenest car you can drive is the one you already own — at least for a few more years. Keeping it maintained and not trashing it early is actually more sustainable in the short term than buying a brand-new EV tomorrow.

But if your plan is long-term — say, to keep your next car for 7–10 years or more — then yes, EV will more than pay off its carbon debt. By the way, we also work on EVs at BM Tech and have qualified technicians for that. And as Australia’s grid gets cleaner in the years ahead, those emissions per km will keep dropping.

So don’t feel like you need to jump into a brand-new EV just to prove you’re being eco-conscious. But if you are going to upgrade, do it with a plan to keep it for a good while — that’s when the real savings kick in.

Alex Topin at BM-Tech, 2025.