Indices to Determine the Environmental and Economic Impact of Using an Electric Vehicle over Gasoline or Hybrid Vehicles on a Regional Basis

Transitioning to electric vehicles (EV) can lower emission to mitigate the effects of climate change. Labeling an EV as completely ‘zero emission’ is incorrect, as it ignores the emissions produced by the electricity generation used to charge the vehicle. The local electricity provider’s energy mix will determine the emissions of an EV, and the fuel efficiency will determine economic savings. This paper will describe the development of two indices to gauge the regional environmental and economic impact of a new EV as compared to a new conventional internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), which will be used to create an interface for vehicle comparison in the future.