Tesla has released the sustainability and overall impact report for the year 2019 (full PDF below) — this detailed report contains all the data and information on how Tesla has influenced the energy and automotive sector in the quest of world’s transition towards sustainable energy and transportatin.
The data gathered by Tesla in this report shows that the Transportation and Energy Generation sectors are one of the major contributors to Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (chart 1.1). The report says:
According to the Global Carbon project, when full tallied, total carbon emissions from 2019 are expected to hit another record high of over 43 gigatons for the year. Energy use through electricity and heat production (31%) and transportation (16%) are significant drivers of these GHG emissions.
It is very clear that the electricity and heat production + transportation sectors account for ~47% of total GHG emissions globally — and Tesla (TSLA) is trying to transition both sectors by offering its energy products (Solar, Powerwalls, & Powerpack grids) and of course the best electric vehicle lineup in the world.
The 4% drop in CO2 emissions during the global lockdown has shown that we can get positive results from eliminating the gas-powered vehicles from the system, the results can be achieved on a permanent basis by replacing ICE vehicles with EVs, even large vehicles like the class 8 semi-trucks in near future can be altered with battery-powered trucks like the Tesla Semi, which according to Elon Musk is going to volume production soon.
Tesla EVs vs. ICE Lifecycle CO2 Emissions
One of the most interesting sections in this report is where Tesla has debunked the claims from the electric vehicle critics saying an EV is as polluting as an internal combustion engine (ICE) car during its lifespan, especially during the manufacturing process.
Tesla compared the lifecycle emissions of a Tesla Model 3 using different energy sources (both renewables and the mix from the grid) to charge the battery pack of the vehicle vs. an average mid-sized premium ICE vehicle in the United States which emits a staggering 69 tons of CO2 during its lifecycle.
The lifecycle analysis in the graph above includes the emissions per mile from:
- A current Fremont-made Model 3 charged from a grid with the generation mix that reflects the geographic distribution of Model 3 deliveries in the U.S.
- What emissions per mile could be if the Model 3 were used for ridesharing over one million miles using cell chemistry from out energy products.
- What emissions per mile could be if a Model 3 were principally charged at home using a solar system and energy storage.
- What emissions per mile could be if a Model 3 were used for ridesharing over one million miles using cell chemistry from our energy products and if it were only charged using a solar system and energy storage.
- The reference ICE vehicle is based on the average mid-size premium sedan in the U.S.
Tesla Produces the Most Efficient EVs
Tesla also reduces the carbon footprint by producing the most energy-efficient electric vehicles, in the following comparison graph we can see how a Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus is the most efficient EV produced till now, the Tesla Impact Report 2019 describes this edge as:
Tesla vehicles are known to have the highest energy efficiency of any EV built to date. In the early days of Model S production, we were able to achieve an energy efficiency of 3.1 EPA miles/kWh. Today, our most efficient Model 3 Standard Range Plus (SR+) achieves an EPA range of 4.8 miles/kWh, more than any EV in production. Model Y all-wheel drive (AWD) achieves 4.1 EPA miles/kWh, which makes it the most efficient electric SUV produced to date.
The Tesla Impact Report 2019 further talks about several aspects and achievements of the company such as safety, Model Y design & ergonomics, battery recycling and materials sourcing with social responsibility and much more, let’s jump to the actual report now.
Tesla Impact and Sustainability Report 2019 (PDF)
- Tesla Cybertruck owners share first impressions of FSD v14.1.7 (videos)
- Tesla pushes FSD v14.1.7 (2025.38.8.7) to Cybertruck and HW4 Model S,3,X,Y (release notes, rollout status)
- Tesla update 2025.38.9 goes wide release on HW3 cars and the Cybertruck (skipping FSD v14)
- 2026 Tesla Semi: new design, production timeline, specifications, comparison to legacy generation
.){kind=link}