Below you will find Green NCAP’s latest LCA results, sorted by the year of publication and by make in alphabetical order. The applied methodology is updated regularly in line with developments of industry and the data available. Green NCAP’s analysis is based on publicly available data about global generic supply chains and does not consider the production or recycling processes of specific vehicle manufacturer brands. By using high-level statistical data, vehicle types can be more easily compared, but some manufacturers may calculate results differently based on specific in-house car model data. Green NCAP encourages the disclosure of brand and model-specific, certified LCA results.
To allow for a general comparison, our analysis assumes a vehicle lifetime of 16 years and an estimated mileage of 240,000 km. The calculations are based on the current forecast about changing average energy mix of the 27 EU Member States. More detailed LCA information for each car is available in the downloadable fact sheet for the vehicle.
Greener Choice LCA Award
Green NCAP’s star ratings are an excellent way to compare the on-road environmental impact of new cars. While the Greenhouse Gas index already includes an ‘upstream’ component (the emissions related to the production and supply of fuels and energy), the rating does not consider factors such as vehicle or battery production. For this, Green NCAP publishes its Life Cycle Analysis, which allows comparison of a car’s impact on climate from ‘cradle to grave’ i.e. from when it was manufactured, through its lifetime of usage and, finally, end-of-life treatment, which includes some degree of recycling. The method of LCA is the most holistic indication of a vehicle’s environmental influence.
Green NCAP gives LCA awards annually to five-star vehicles with the best LCA result. These are vehicles with total Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas emissions equal to or less than a fleet based threshold which evolves over time. This means that, in addition to minimising the output of climate-damaging emissions during use, they are further reduced during production and maintenance, where lighter vehicles with smaller batteries show clear advantages.
In 2024, the third edition of 'Green NCAP's Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Data' is released. Among others, the update considers evolving raw materials blends and legislation for biofuels, the decreasing greenhouse gas intensity of battery production and an up-to-date forecast of the European electricity supply for the period 2024-2039, which was kindly made available by by Ricardo. The UK electricity supply is not any longer included in the European Average EU27 value. Additionally, Norway as a further non-EU Member State country is added. As of 2024, investigations can include also the new fuels LPG and E85.
The results reflect the further development of the LCA methods and assumptions used, which are described in the second edition of 'Green NCAP's Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Data' paper. Compared to the 2021 release, the calculations consider the increasing share of battery production in Europe and use the forecast of the energy supply in the period 2022-2037. Furthermore, the vehicle maintenance model has been improved and amongst other points, considers urea usage for diesel-powertrains.
The methodology used to calculate results can be found in the first edition of 'Green NCAP's Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Data paper. To allow for a general comparison, the analysis introduces an assumed vehicle lifetime of 16 years and an estimated mileage of 240,000 km. The calculations are based on the forecast about changing average energy mix of the 27 EU Member States and the UK (EU27+UK) for the period 2021-2036.
Results were calculated with 2021 methodology, which can be found in the 1st edition of 'Green NCAP's Life Cycle Assessment Methodology and Data paper. To allow for a general comparison, the analysis introduces an assumed vehicle lifetime of 16 years and an estimated mileage of 240,000 km. The calculations are based on the forecast about changing average energy mix of the 27 EU Member States and the UK (EU27+UK) for the period 2021-2036.