Electric vehicles (EVs) are crucial for decarbonizing the transport sector, yet their capacity to decarbonize from a life cycle perspective and their impacts on the environment and society are deeply tied to their efficiency. Unlike internal combustion engine vehicles, EVs in the United States are not subject to efficiency standards, and EV sales trends show increasing vehicle and battery size, and decreasing efficiency (energy per mile traveled). If left unchecked, the externalities of vehicle electrification will likely rise and the risk of heavier vehicles, supply restrictions, and strained electrical grids will increase. This research explores the possible effects of EV efficiency policy in the US from the perspective of mineral resource demand, life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, and social costs, including roadway safety. A variety of modeling techniques and research approaches will be used including analysis of EV sales data, research on the effects of internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) and EV efficiency policies around the world, physics-based and technology-oriented design principles for EV efficiency improvements; material flow analysis and life cycle assessment to assess mineral resource and life cycle greenhouse gas implications; and economic analysis of externalities that arise from different EV efficiency futures. The results of this work can inform policymakers on the value and limitations of an EV efficiency standard in the US, as well as lay out a research agenda that can answer more nuanced questions about EV efficiency policy design, which is not addressed in this research.
