Analysis | Compare electric cars by price, battery, environmental impact

Analysis | Compare electric cars by price, battery, environmental impact

The electric-vehicle market is suddenly brimming with choices, from hatchbacks to trucks to roomy SUVs. That’s great news for consumers, but it also means a dizzying and sometimes confusing array of options.

To help simplify things, we have compiled a guide that lets you compare price, battery range and the estimated environmental impact of manufacturing and driving some of the hottest electric cars on the market.

[Buy an electric vehicle now or wait? Here’s how to decide.]

For this guide, the Washington Post looked at the nation’s top-selling electric models of 2022 and estimated their greenhouse gas emissions using MIT Trancik Lab’s carbon counter. We also used ratings from GreenerCars, which evaluates emissions and pollution generated by the manufacturing, charging and discarding or recycling the parts of each vehicle. And we analyzed rankings from Lead the Charge, a coalition of environmental and consumer groups that investigates how companies source their steel, aluminum and battery components. The organization measures the impacts of those supply chains on human health, biodiversity and resource depletion.

Some of these electric vehicles assembled in North America now qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. Buyers will receive the tax credits if their adjusted gross income does not exceed $300,000 for married couples filing jointly, $225,000 for heads of households and $150,000 for all other taxpayers.

So whether you are in the market for a luxury sedan or an F-150, buckle up and let our guide steer you in the right direction.

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About this story

Total carbon dioxide emissions per mile were calculated by MIT Trancik Lab’s carbon counter, which assumed each vehicle would last 13 years and 195,000 miles. The emissions include estimated greenhouse gas emissions from car and battery production, as well as from driving, assuming EV drivers charge their vehicles on average U.S. electricity grid. GreenerCars, produced by the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, rated each electric vehicle’s environmental footprint by tabulating the emissions and pollution generated by manufacturing, charging and discarding or recycling the vehicle. Lead the Charge, a consortium of advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, Public Citizen and the Sunrise Project, ranked auto companies on their sustainability and supply chain transparency policies. The pricing and technical specs for each car were provided by the auto companies or taken from data they post online. Tax credit eligibility is from fueleconomy.gov, as of April 17.

Editing by Karly Domb Sadof, Sandhya Somashekhar, and Juliet Eilperin. Photo editing by Haley Hamblin. Design and development by Irfan Uraizee and Andrew Braford. Design editing by Virginia Singarayar. Copy editing by Angela Mecca.