Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 2 hrs ago
China’s electric cars are getting heavier, increasing manufacturing emissions
China is the world’s largest builder and buyer of electric vehicles, and its EVs are getting heavier.
In the first four months of 2026, the average EV sold there weighed almost two tonnes, 27.5% more than in 2020.
Bigger batteries help cars travel farther, while added technology and comfort features also add weight.
Heavier cars require more materials, including steel, aluminium and battery components, whose production creates greenhouse gas emissions.
Those manufacturing emissions can reduce some of the climate benefit of driving an EV instead of a conventional car.
The distance an EV must travel before its lifetime emissions are lower varies by size: the source gives about 2,500 kilometres for some small EVs and 54,000 to 140,000 kilometres for medium-to-large SUVs.
The figures highlight how vehicle size and battery production affect an EV’s overall climate impact.
The average electric vehicle sold in China in the first four months of 2026 weighed almost two tonnes, up 27.5 per cent from 2020.
Heavier vehicles require more materials, increasing emissions from manufacturing and supply chains.
Those emissions offset some of the reductions from driving an electric vehicle instead of a conventional car.
Bigger batteries, added features and changing consumer expectations are among the reasons vehicles are gaining weight.
For medium-to-large SUVs, electric vehicles may need to be driven 54,000 to 140,000 kilometres before their lifetime emissions fall below those of a conventional car.
- Who
- China’s electric vehicle industry and buyers; researchers from the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs also assessed the emissions.
- What
- Electric vehicles in China are getting heavier, increasing the materials used and emissions from manufacturing.
- When
- The average weight figure covers the first four months of 2026; it was compared with 2020.
- Where
- China.
- Why
- Bigger batteries, added technology and comfort features, and demand for greater range contribute to the weight increase.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The average weight of an electric vehicle sold in China was 27.5 per cent lower than in the first four months of 2026.
A report by the International Council on Clean Transportation noted that battery manufacturing emissions depend on battery size, manufacturing techniques and the electricity source.
A study by the European Federation for Transportation and Environment estimated emissions from making a ternary polymer lithium battery at 105 kg of carbon per kWh in China.
The average electric vehicle sold in China weighed almost two tonnes.
- Average EV weight in China
- Almost two tonnes in the first four months of 2026
- Change from 2020
- Up 27.5 per cent
- Large SUV weight
- Some weigh over three tonnes
- Battery capacity
- EV batteries have risen from about 40 kWh to 80 kWh or 100 kWh
- Battery weight
- A 100 kWh battery can weigh more than 600 kg
- Emissions payback for medium-to-large SUVs
- 54,000–140,000 km of driving
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