Which Automakers Build The Cleanest EVs? This Study Has Answers

A new study ranks automakers based on how clean and responsible their supply chains are. These are the winners and losers.

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Suvrat Kothari

By: Suvrat Kothari

Mar 4, at 3:05pm ET

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Automakers are making progress in decarbonizing their electric vehicle supply chains, according to a new study.
Western brands lead Chinese automakers on human rights and responsible mining.
Glaring gaps remain between what automakers promise and what they deliver.

A new study has found that several Western automakers are significantly ahead of Chinese brands when it comes to reducing emissions from electric vehicle manufacturing, building cleaner supply chains and sourcing battery materials responsibly.

American and European automakers have made strides in these areas over the past few years, indicating that clean and equitable EV supply chains are indeed attainable, according to environmental group Lead The Charge. Tesla topped this leaderboard, followed by Ford and Volvo.

There’s broad consensus among the scientific community that EVs pollute far less than combustion engine vehicles over their lifetime. They’re critical to decarbonizing transportation and blunting the worst effects of global warming, all of which have consequences on public health and well-being.

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However, EVs don’t come without baggage. Much of the electricity powering them still comes from coal-fired plants—even though renewables are increasingly part of the energy mix. EV production still remains reliant on fossil fuels. But more importantly, battery production remains deeply entangled with fossil fuels and mining of critical minerals like cobalt is linked to labor violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

To cut through the noise and identify who's actually making progress in cleaning up these filthy supply chains, Lead The Charge evaluated 18 of the world’s top car manufacturers over 80 indicators. The study scored them on things like carbon created during the production of steel, aluminum, and batteries as well as the human aspect of production, including workers’ rights, protection of indigenous groups, and mining practices.

On average, the companies scored 24% on efforts to make their supply chains fossil-fuel-free and environmentally sustainable, which is a 5% increase over last year. And they collectively scored 27% on the human rights and responsible sourcing metric. Tesla ranked on top with an overall score of 49%, followed by Ford (45%) and Volvo (44%). Mercedes-Benz (41%) and Volkswagen (39%) rounded out the top five. BYD, Toyota, Honda, GAC and SAIC ranked at the bottom of the chart.

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The report also highlighted the glaring gaps between what automakers promise and what they actually deliver, saying that when it comes to their environmental goals, they often have little to show when it comes to targeted action. It specifically called out Toyota, BYD and Honda for scoring 0% on all indicators for the decarbonization of their steel supply chain.

Toyota moved up in the battery sustainability rankings by adopting an “easy to dismantle” battery design that improves recyclability. The top five companies with the most improved battery supply chain include Tesla, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Ford.

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While the frontrunners in this study show great promise for deeper decarbonization of the EV supply chain, the average score of just 24% for the 18 automakers listed here show that—by some measures at least—the finish line is still a long, long way ahead.

Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com