EV carbon footprint calculator by state
Pick your state and your car. You’ll see how much CO2 the electricity behind your EV really produces, how that compares with a gas car and a hybrid, and how many miles it takes to pay back the battery’s manufacturing emissions.
Short answer: on the average U.S. grid, a typical EV is responsible for about 0.22 lb of CO2 per mile, versus 0.78 lb for a 25-mpg gas car, roughly 72% less. The advantage ranges from about 98% in Vermont to 28% in West Virginia, and a 75 kWh battery’s extra manufacturing emissions are paid back after about 14,100 miles on the average grid.
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Pounds of CO2 per mile driven.
CO2 you avoid each year–
Battery payback–
Electricity used–
When does your EV come out ahead?
Total CO2 from driving, with the EV starting out carrying its extra battery emissions.How clean is an EV in each state?
Each square shows the CO2 behind one mile in an average EV (3.6 mi/kWh) charged on that state’s grid. Tap a state to load it into the calculator.
Under 0.100.10–0.200.20–0.300.30–0.450.45 and uplb CO2 per mile
What the state data show
- An EV beats an average new gas car everywhere. Compared with a 25-mpg car, a typical EV is responsible for 98% less CO2 per mile in Vermont, 90% less in Washington, 85% less in California and 72% less in Texas. Even in West Virginia, where 86% of in-state power comes from coal, it’s about 28% less.
- A good hybrid can win on the dirtiest grids. In West Virginia, Wyoming, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Utah and Hawaii, a 50-mpg hybrid emits less CO2 per mile than an average EV on the in-state mix. Everywhere else, the EV is ahead.
- Coal, not gas, makes the difference. The seven highest-carbon grids are all coal-heavy except Hawaii, which burns oil. States that mostly use natural gas, like Florida and Louisiana, land close to the national average.
- Wind and hydro states lead. Hydro dominates in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Vermont, wind in South Dakota and Iowa, and nuclear in New Hampshire, Illinois and South Carolina.
EV emissions for all 50 states and D.C.
Sort any column. Figures assume an average EV (3.6 mi/kWh) with a 75 kWh battery, compared with a 25-mpg gas car and a 50-mpg hybrid.
| Alabama | 0.74 | 14% | Natural gas (44%) | 0.21 | 74% | 13,700 | EV 47% lower |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 0.85 | 11% | Natural gas (48%) | 0.23 | 70% | 14,500 | EV 40% lower |
| Arizona | 0.72 | 11% | Natural gas (47%) | 0.20 | 75% | 13,600 | EV 49% lower |
| Arkansas | 1.04 | 27% | Natural gas (42%) | 0.29 | 63% | 16,000 | EV 26% lower |
| California | 0.41 | 0% | Natural gas (44%) | 0.11 | 85% | 11,900 | EV 71% lower |
| Colorado | 1.13 | 33% | Coal (33%) | 0.31 | 60% | 16,900 | EV 20% lower |
| Connecticut | 0.56 | 0% | Natural gas (61%) | 0.16 | 80% | 12,600 | EV 60% lower |
| Delaware | 0.73 | 0% | Natural gas (92%) | 0.20 | 74% | 13,700 | EV 48% lower |
| District of Columbia | 0.41 | 0% | Natural gas (52%) | 0.11 | 85% | 11,900 | EV 71% lower |
| Florida | 0.82 | 4% | Natural gas (76%) | 0.23 | 71% | 14,300 | EV 42% lower |
| Georgia | 0.75 | 13% | Natural gas (46%) | 0.21 | 74% | 13,800 | EV 47% lower |
| Hawaii | 1.45 | 0% | Oil (78%) | 0.40 | 49% | 20,800 | Hybrid 2% lower |
| Idaho | 0.33 | 0% | Hydro (47%) | 0.09 | 88% | 11,500 | EV 77% lower |
| Illinois | 0.49 | 15% | Nuclear (55%) | 0.14 | 83% | 12,300 | EV 65% lower |
| Indiana | 1.52 | 46% | Coal (46%) | 0.42 | 46% | 22,000 | Hybrid 7% lower |
| Iowa | 0.66 | 24% | Wind (59%) | 0.18 | 77% | 13,200 | EV 53% lower |
| Kansas | 0.76 | 28% | Wind (47%) | 0.21 | 73% | 13,900 | EV 46% lower |
| Kentucky | 1.81 | 69% | Coal (69%) | 0.50 | 36% | 28,300 | Hybrid 22% lower |
| Louisiana | 0.79 | 5% | Natural gas (76%) | 0.22 | 72% | 14,100 | EV 44% lower |
| Maine | 0.33 | 0% | Natural gas (32%) | 0.09 | 88% | 11,400 | EV 77% lower |
| Maryland | 0.54 | 5% | Natural gas (43%) | 0.15 | 81% | 12,500 | EV 62% lower |
| Massachusetts | 0.86 | 0% | Natural gas (75%) | 0.24 | 70% | 14,600 | EV 39% lower |
| Michigan | 0.83 | 20% | Natural gas (45%) | 0.23 | 71% | 14,300 | EV 41% lower |
| Minnesota | 0.78 | 22% | Wind (25%) | 0.22 | 72% | 14,000 | EV 45% lower |
| Mississippi | 0.86 | 6% | Natural gas (76%) | 0.24 | 69% | 14,600 | EV 39% lower |
| Missouri | 1.51 | 60% | Coal (60%) | 0.42 | 47% | 21,700 | Hybrid 6% lower |
| Montana | 1.10 | 43% | Coal (43%) | 0.31 | 61% | 16,600 | EV 22% lower |
| Nebraska | 1.06 | 45% | Coal (45%) | 0.30 | 62% | 16,200 | EV 25% lower |
| Nevada | 0.67 | 5% | Natural gas (58%) | 0.19 | 76% | 13,300 | EV 52% lower |
| New Hampshire | 0.28 | 1% | Nuclear (57%) | 0.08 | 90% | 11,300 | EV 80% lower |
| New Jersey | 0.49 | 0% | Natural gas (52%) | 0.14 | 83% | 12,200 | EV 65% lower |
| New Mexico | 0.80 | 19% | Wind (38%) | 0.22 | 72% | 14,200 | EV 43% lower |
| New York | 0.49 | 0% | Natural gas (47%) | 0.13 | 83% | 12,200 | EV 66% lower |
| North Carolina | 0.65 | 11% | Natural gas (41%) | 0.18 | 77% | 13,200 | EV 54% lower |
| North Dakota | 1.34 | 54% | Coal (54%) | 0.37 | 52% | 19,400 | EV 5% lower |
| Ohio | 1.11 | 24% | Natural gas (59%) | 0.31 | 61% | 16,700 | EV 21% lower |
| Oklahoma | 0.68 | 6% | Natural gas (51%) | 0.19 | 76% | 13,300 | EV 52% lower |
| Oregon | 0.38 | 0% | Hydro (43%) | 0.11 | 87% | 11,700 | EV 73% lower |
| Pennsylvania | 0.67 | 5% | Natural gas (59%) | 0.19 | 76% | 13,300 | EV 52% lower |
| Rhode Island | 0.88 | 0% | Natural gas (92%) | 0.24 | 69% | 14,700 | EV 38% lower |
| South Carolina | 0.58 | 15% | Nuclear (55%) | 0.16 | 79% | 12,800 | EV 59% lower |
| South Dakota | 0.35 | 9% | Wind (54%) | 0.10 | 88% | 11,600 | EV 75% lower |
| Tennessee | 0.69 | 20% | Nuclear (49%) | 0.19 | 76% | 13,400 | EV 51% lower |
| Texas | 0.80 | 13% | Natural gas (52%) | 0.22 | 72% | 14,100 | EV 43% lower |
| Utah | 1.47 | 45% | Coal (45%) | 0.41 | 48% | 21,200 | Hybrid 4% lower |
| Vermont | 0.04 | 0% | Hydro (62%) | 0.01 | 98% | 10,300 | EV 97% lower |
| Virginia | 0.56 | 2% | Natural gas (56%) | 0.16 | 80% | 12,600 | EV 60% lower |
| Washington | 0.28 | 4% | Hydro (60%) | 0.08 | 90% | 11,200 | EV 80% lower |
| West Virginia | 2.04 | 86% | Coal (86%) | 0.57 | 28% | 36,600 | Hybrid 31% lower |
| Wisconsin | 1.21 | 34% | Natural gas (41%) | 0.34 | 57% | 17,700 | EV 14% lower |
| Wyoming | 1.90 | 71% | Coal (71%) | 0.53 | 33% | 31,000 | Hybrid 26% lower |
State rates describe the power plants located in each state. Where a state imports or exports a lot of electricity, what reaches your outlet can differ. See the FAQ below.
What about the emissions from building the battery?
Building an EV creates more CO2 than building a comparable gas car, mostly because of the battery cells and the materials in them. In a Reuters analysis using Argonne National Laboratory’s GREET model, producing a mid-size electric sedan with a 54 kWh battery generated about 8.1 metric tons of CO2, versus about 5.5 tons for a similar gasoline car. That EV needed 13,500 miles on the U.S. grid to pull ahead of a 33-mpg Toyota Corolla.
This calculator scales that gap by battery size, at about 48 kg of CO2 per kWh. On the average grid, a 75 kWh EV pays back in about 14,100 miles against a 25-mpg car, a little over a year of typical driving. In West Virginia it takes about 36,600 miles. Other researchers land in a similar range or somewhat higher; the Union of Concerned Scientists estimated 21,300 miles.
Across a whole vehicle life, the EV advantage is large on the average U.S. grid. The Department of Energy’s R&D GREET model finds a 2025 electric SUV produces 46% less life-cycle greenhouse gas than a comparable gas SUV. The International Council on Clean Transportation estimates 66% to 70% lower life-cycle emissions for model-year 2024 electric sedans and 71% to 74% lower for SUVs.
The grid behind your plug keeps getting cleaner
The average CO2 from U.S. power plants fell about 42% between 2005 and 2023, as coal plants closed and gas, wind and solar grew. An EV’s emissions follow the grid it charges from, so the same car gets cleaner over its life. A gas car’s tailpipe emissions per gallon stay the same.
How we calculate
Every number on this page comes from public U.S. government data and one clearly stated assumption for the battery. Here is the whole method.
Grid CO2 per kWh = eGRID2023 state CO2 rate (lb/MWh) ÷ 1,000 ÷ (1 − 0.042) to account for power lost on the wires.
EV CO2 per mile = grid CO2 per kWh ÷ your EV’s EPA efficiency in miles per kWh. EPA ratings measure energy from the wall, so charging losses are included.
Gas CO2 per mile = 19.59 lb (8,887 g) of CO2 per gallon, the EPA and DOT standard factor, ÷ mpg.
Battery payback = battery kWh × 48 kg extra CO2 ÷ (gas CO2 per mile − EV CO2 per mile).
What’s left out
We compare tailpipe CO2 for gas cars with power-plant CO2 for EVs. Neither side includes fuel production: drilling, refining and shipping gasoline raises a gas car’s total to about 23.7 lb of CO2-equivalent per gallon in DOE’s GREET-based figures, so leaving it out makes the gas car look about 17% cleaner than it really is. Methane and nitrous oxide, and vehicle end-of-life, are also excluded. Home solar is treated as zero driving emissions; the panels’ own manufacturing footprint isn’t counted.Default values
The 25-mpg default is close to EPA’s 25.5-mpg average for model-year 2024 vehicles without plug-ins (27.2 mpg with them). The 3.6 mi/kWh EV average is the figure DOE uses in its emissions tool. Vehicle presets use EPA combined ratings from fueleconomy.gov. The 12,000 miles per year default sits between EPA’s typical 11,500 miles per vehicle and FHWA’s 13,476 miles per driver.EV emissions questions, answered
Are electric cars really better for the environment in every state?
Compared with an average new gas car, yes. Using EPA’s eGRID2023 state data, a typical EV (3.6 miles per kWh) is responsible for less CO2 per mile than a 25-mpg gas car in all 50 states and D.C., from about 98% less in Vermont to about 28% less in West Virginia. Compared with a 50-mpg hybrid, the answer changes in seven coal- or oil-heavy states (West Virginia, Wyoming, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Utah and Hawaii), where the hybrid comes out ahead per mile on the in-state grid mix. Life-cycle studies that also count manufacturing still find a clear EV advantage on the average U.S. grid: the Department of Energy’s R&D GREET model puts a 2025 electric SUV at 46% lower life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable gas SUV.How many miles does it take for an EV to make up for its battery?
In the U.S. it is usually somewhere around 10,000 to 20,000 miles, and longer on coal-heavy grids. This calculator assumes about 48 kg of extra CO2 per kWh of battery, based on Argonne National Laboratory GREET figures published by Reuters, which found a 54 kWh Tesla Model 3 carried roughly 2.6 extra metric tons from production and broke even with a 33-mpg Corolla after 13,500 miles. With a 75 kWh battery on the average U.S. grid, compared with a 25-mpg car, breakeven comes at about 14,100 miles. Other estimates run higher; the Union of Concerned Scientists put it at 21,300 miles. In West Virginia the same car needs roughly 36,600 miles.Is an EV better than a hybrid for CO2?
Usually. Nationally, an average EV is responsible for about 0.22 lb of CO2 per mile, versus about 0.39 lb for a 50-mpg hybrid, roughly 43% less. The EV wins in 43 states and D.C. on the in-state grid mix. In the seven highest-carbon grids, an average EV emits about 2% to 45% more per mile than a 50-mpg hybrid. A more efficient EV, home solar or a green power plan can flip that result, so check your own case with the calculator.Does it matter what time of day I charge?
It can. The numbers on this page are annual averages. The power plants that ramp up to meet extra demand at a given hour are often fossil-fueled: EPA’s U.S. non-baseload rate is about 1.37 lb of CO2 per kWh, compared with about 0.77 lb for the grid as a whole. On solar-heavy grids such as California’s, midday charging tends to use cleaner power, while overnight charging elsewhere may lean more on gas or coal. If your utility publishes hourly emissions or offers a clean-energy time-of-use plan, use it.Does an EV get cleaner over time?
Yes, because its emissions follow the grid it charges from. EPA’s eGRID data show the U.S. average falling from about 1,329 lb of CO2 per MWh in 2005 to 767 lb in 2023, a drop of about 42%. A gas car’s tailpipe CO2 per gallon never changes. How fast the grid keeps improving depends on markets and policy, but the Department of Energy’s R&D GREET projections put a 2035 EV at 76% lower life-cycle emissions than a 2025 gas car.Why is my state’s number different from my utility’s or EPA’s Power Profiler?
This page uses eGRID state rates, which describe the power plants located inside each state. Electricity crosses state lines. Vermont’s own plants are mostly hydro, wood and wind (43 lb of CO2 per MWh), but much of the state’s power comes from the wider New England grid, which averaged about 539 lb per MWh in 2023. Coal states such as West Virginia and Wyoming export a large share of their power. EPA’s Power Profiler uses your ZIP code to find your regional grid, which is closer to what reaches your plug. Divide its lb/MWh figure by 1,000 and enter it under ‘My utility’s number’.What about mining the materials for EV batteries?
Mining and refining lithium, nickel, cobalt and graphite are a large part of why an EV starts life with a bigger carbon footprint than a gas car, and they have local environmental and social impacts that CO2 figures don’t capture. The life-cycle studies cited here, from Argonne National Laboratory and the International Council on Clean Transportation, include material extraction and battery production in their totals and still find EVs lower over a vehicle’s life. Lower-carbon chemistries such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and recycling can cut battery emissions further.How can I lower my EV’s carbon footprint?
Charge from rooftop solar or your utility’s green-power plan. Choose the most efficient EV that fits your needs: on the same grid, a 4.0 mi/kWh sedan emits about half as much per mile as a 2.1 mi/kWh pickup. Avoid buying more battery than you need, because pack size drives manufacturing emissions. And keep the car a long time, since every mile past breakeven is a net saving.Sources
- U.S. EPA, eGRID2023 Summary Tables, revision 2 (June 2025), tables 1, 3 and 4. eGRID data page.
- U.S. EPA, Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies: calculations and references (gasoline CO2 factor, forest sequestration, 2005 grid rate).
- U.S. EPA, Automotive Trends Report highlights and Emissions from a typical passenger vehicle.
- U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, Data sources and assumptions for the electricity sources and fuel-cycle emissions tool.
- U.S. DOE, Light-duty vehicle life cycle assessment using R&D GREET 2024 (January 2025).
- ICCT, Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of U.S. sedans and SUVs (July 2024).
- Reuters analysis of Argonne GREET data and UCS estimate, as summarized by PolitiFact.
- fueleconomy.gov EPA ratings, e.g. 2025 Tesla Model 3; FHWA, average annual miles per driver.
These are planning estimates based on annual average grid data and the inputs you choose, not certified emissions figures. Real-world results vary with your utility, the time you charge, weather, driving style and where your car was built. EVRatio is independent and not affiliated with any government agency, utility or automaker. Nothing you enter is stored.