Road transport produces 7.7 gigatonnes of CO2. Global electric car sales reached 13 million units. The sections below examine production volumes, material flows, policy targets, and lifecycle data that shape these outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- 13.0 million electric cars were sold globally in 2023 — global electric vehicle sales volume
- Tesla produced 1.81 million vehicles in 2023 — production volume relevant for operational footprints
- In 2023, global steel production was 1.9 billion tonnes, with decarbonization linked to automotive LCA materials — materials scale quantity
- IEA estimated that in 2023, EVs were 23% of passenger car sales in China — EV share
- By 2030, the EU Battery Regulation targets 4% recycled lithium content in batteries — recycled content target
- The EU ELV directive targets 95% reuse/recycling by 2015 — policy target quantity
- In 2023, the IEA estimates road transport CO2 emissions were 7.7 GtCO2 — sector emissions quantity
- In 2023, global energy-related CO2 emissions were about 37.4 GtCO2 — baseline emissions quantity
- Euro 6 standards reduced NOx emissions from new cars by 68% compared with Euro 5 (EU impact assessment) — emission reduction magnitude
- In 2023, average CO2 compliance surplus payments for passenger cars under the Regulation were €~73 per g/km per vehicle — unit payment metric
- The global average price for battery packs reached $132/kWh in 2019 (BNEF) — battery pack price
- IEA estimates that in 2023 battery manufacturing accounted for about 5% of global industrial energy demand — energy demand share
- 24% of global CO2 emissions are estimated to come from the transportation sector — share of emissions from transport
- 11.7 GtCO2e of greenhouse gases were emitted by the transport sector in 2019 — global transport emissions estimate
- 8.1% of total global final energy consumption is used for road transport — road transport energy share
In 2023, EVs expanded quickly but transport remains a major emissions source, making cleaner grids and recycling essential.
Related reading
- Sustainability In IndustrySustainability In The Automobile Industry Statistics
- Sustainability In IndustrySustainability In The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Statistics
- Transportation VehiclesUs Auto Industry Statistics
- Sustainability In IndustrySustainability In The Electric Vehicle Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
13.0 million electric cars were sold globally in 2023 — global electric vehicle sales volume
02
Tesla produced 1.81 million vehicles in 2023 — production volume relevant for operational footprints
03
In 2023, global steel production was 1.9 billion tonnes, with decarbonization linked to automotive LCA materials — materials scale quantity
04
1,000+ GWh — global battery manufacturing capacity added/announced trend metric for 2030 outlook used by major analysts (scale of industrial build).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With 13.0 million electric cars sold worldwide in 2023 and over 1,000 GWh of global battery manufacturing capacity projected to be added or announced for 2030, the auto industry’s sustainability market is rapidly scaling in step with growing demand and production for lower carbon vehicles.
02 · Category
Industry Trends8 stats
01
IEA estimated that in 2023, EVs were 23% of passenger car sales in China — EV share
02
By 2030, the EU Battery Regulation targets 4% recycled lithium content in batteries — recycled content target
03
The EU ELV directive targets 95% reuse/recycling by 2015 — policy target quantity
04
The EU Packaging Waste Directive requires 50% recycling by 2020 for packaging waste — recycling rate requirement
05
A 2022 report by IEA estimated that low-carbon hydrogen demand could reach 80 Mt by 2030 with major applications including refining and transport fuels — clean hydrogen demand estimate
06
IEA projected clean hydrogen demand of 240 Mt by 2030 under net-zero scenario — demand estimate
07
The European Climate Law sets a binding target of climate neutrality by 2050 — policy quantity
08
The EU’s CO2 reduction target for new vans is 100% reduction by 2035 relative to 2021 levels — phase-out target
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends in autos, policy and market signals show a rapid shift to cleaner supply chains as EVs hit 23% of China’s passenger car sales in 2023 and EU rules push recycled battery and materials targets, including 4% recycled lithium by 2030 and 95% reuse and recycling under the ELV directive.
03 · Category
Performance Metrics5 stats
01
In 2023, the IEA estimates road transport CO2 emissions were 7.7 GtCO2 — sector emissions quantity
02
In 2023, global energy-related CO2 emissions were about 37.4 GtCO2 — baseline emissions quantity
03
Euro 6 standards reduced NOx emissions from new cars by 68% compared with Euro 5 (EU impact assessment) — emission reduction magnitude
04
The life-cycle climate impact of electric buses can be 40–70% lower than diesel buses depending on electricity mix (peer-reviewed synthesis) — lifecycle reduction magnitude
05
In a 2020 peer-reviewed study, electric vehicles showed 50–60% lower lifecycle CO2 emissions than gasoline cars across several regions under average grids — quantified lifecycle comparison
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across key performance metrics, transport’s 7.7 GtCO2 road emissions and the 37.4 GtCO2 global energy-related baseline show the scale of the challenge, while targeted standards and vehicle technology advances deliver measurable gains such as Euro 6 cutting NOx by 68% and electric buses achieving 40–70% lower life-cycle climate impact and electric vehicles lowering lifecycle CO2 by 50–60% versus gasoline.
04 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
In 2023, average CO2 compliance surplus payments for passenger cars under the Regulation were €~73 per g/km per vehicle — unit payment metric
02
The global average price for battery packs reached $132/kWh in 2019 (BNEF) — battery pack price
03
IEA estimates that in 2023 battery manufacturing accounted for about 5% of global industrial energy demand — energy demand share
04
Hydrogen production costs in Europe in 2023 averaged €2.0–€4.0/kg for renewables-based routes in many markets (IEA/market context) — cost range
05
The European Commission estimated that battery swapping can reduce upfront costs by up to 50% for EV users in certain scenarios — cost reduction magnitude
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost pressures and opportunities are shifting fast in the auto industry, with the EU’s €73 per g/km compliance surplus payment in 2023 highlighting CO2 financial exposure while battery prices fell to $132 per kWh in 2019 and IEA estimates battery manufacturing used only about 5% of global industrial energy demand, and potential EV cost relief from battery swapping could cut upfront costs by up to 50%.
05 · Category
Emissions & Impacts4 stats
01
24% of global CO2 emissions are estimated to come from the transportation sector — share of emissions from transport
02
11.7 GtCO2e of greenhouse gases were emitted by the transport sector in 2019 — global transport emissions estimate
03
8.1% of total global final energy consumption is used for road transport — road transport energy share
04
Transport accounted for 24% of energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022 — emissions share for transport
Interpretation
Emissions & Impacts Interpretation
From an emissions and impacts perspective, transport is responsible for a large and persistent share of global pollution, with 24% of global CO2 emissions and 24% of energy related CO2 coming from transport alongside 11.7 GtCO2e of greenhouse gases emitted by the sector in 2019.
06 · Category
Materials & Recycling6 stats
01
38% of battery supply chain emissions are estimated to occur during manufacturing (cell production) in life-cycle assessments — manufacturing contribution share
02
50% of automotive scrap steel can be recycled without major performance degradation — reusability evidence for metals
03
77% of end-of-life nickel and cobalt in batteries can be recovered under hydrometallurgical processing pathways — recovery potential for key metals
04
90% nickel recovery potential under hydrometallurgical processing — reported recovery efficiencies for battery-grade nickel in recycling pathway studies.
05
50% reduction in raw-material demand for lithium by 2040 under aggressive recycling capture rates — scenario outcome from circularity modeling work for batteries.
06
85% of lead from lead-acid batteries is recovered in formal recycling systems in mature markets — recovery rate statistic used in environmental impact analyses.
Interpretation
Materials & Recycling Interpretation
Across Materials and Recycling, battery and metal recycling is already delivering strong recovery outcomes, with about 77% to 90% of end of life nickel and cobalt potentially recoverable via hydrometallurgical routes and around 85% of lead from lead acid batteries recovered in mature markets, while manufacturing remains a major emissions source at 38% of battery supply chain emissions.
More related reading
07 · Category
Policy & Regulation3 stats
01
0.5°C — magnitude of expected temperature reduction from current national policies under the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario for transport by 2050 — scenario policy impact metric
02
2035 is the target year for the phase-out of new internal combustion engine car sales in the EU — regulatory timeline
03
2027 is the target year in the U.S. for model-year 2027 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards — regulatory timeline for fuel economy
Interpretation
Policy & Regulation Interpretation
Policy and regulation are rapidly tightening for transport, with the EU targeting a 2035 phase out of new internal combustion engine car sales and the US setting model year 2027 fuel economy standards while the IEA Net Zero pathway suggests current national policies could cut transport emissions by only about 0.5°C.
08 · Category
Charging Infrastructure1 stats
01
5.4 million publicly available charging points worldwide in 2023 — global public charging infrastructure count.
Interpretation
Charging Infrastructure Interpretation
In 2023, the world reached 5.4 million publicly available charging points, a clear sign that charging infrastructure is rapidly expanding to support wider electric vehicle access.
09 · Category
Lifecycle Impact4 stats
01
26% of total transport greenhouse-gas emissions in the EU came from road transport in 2022 — road transport emissions share within transport.
02
20% average reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions for battery electric passenger cars vs. diesel under EU electricity assumptions — median life-cycle comparison from a meta-analysis.
03
2–3 years — typical payback time on life-cycle GHG for EVs vs gasoline cars in many studies when the grid is moderate and vehicle usage is high — reported range in synthesis reviews.
04
10% — reduction in total life-cycle GHG of EV supply chains when battery manufacturing electricity shifts from coal to renewables — modeled improvement magnitude reported in supply-chain LCAs.
Interpretation
Lifecycle Impact Interpretation
From a Lifecycle Impact perspective, cleaner grids can dramatically shrink transport emissions over a vehicle’s lifetime, since life cycle greenhouse gases for battery electric passenger cars are about 20% lower than diesel on EU assumptions and EV supply chains can see roughly a 10% cut when battery manufacturing shifts from coal to renewables.
10 · Category
Regulation & Compliance1 stats
01
15% of EU fleet-average CO2 reductions for new cars are driven by the ZLEV/bonus structure under current EU regulatory design — compliance mechanism share from regulatory analysis.
Interpretation
Regulation & Compliance Interpretation
Under current EU regulation, the ZLEV or bonus structure is responsible for 15% of fleet average CO2 reductions for new cars, showing that compliance outcomes are meaningfully shaped by the specific policy design rather than just baseline technical progress.
11 · Category
Industry Decarbonization1 stats
01
2.5x — growth in public EV charging investment announced by utilities and charge-point operators from 2019 to 2023 — investment scaling reported by sector research.
Interpretation
Industry Decarbonization Interpretation
From 2019 to 2023, public investment in EV charging grew 2.5 times as utilities and charge point operators scaled funding, showing that industry decarbonization is being backed by rapidly expanding charging infrastructure.
report visual · Key figures
EV scale-up and battery build-out are accelerating
EV adoption and battery manufacturing capacity are expanding rapidly, supporting the transition toward lower-carbon road transport.
13.0
13.0 million electric cars were sold globally in 2023 — global electric vehicle sales volume
1,000
1,000+ GWh — global battery manufacturing capacity added/announced trend metric for 2030 outlook used by major analysts
5.4
5.4 million publicly available charging points worldwide in 2023 — global public charging infrastructure count.
source-verifiedabout.bnef.com · ir.hertz.com2030
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Sustainability In The Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Sustainability In The Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Sustainability In The Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sustainability-in-the-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
42 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)