Top Car for the environment: Tesla Model 3
Tuesday, 4 January 2022
Tesla is the leader in the current EV market, and a lot of that has to do with its remarkable battery technology and battery management systems. For that reason we have given the Model 3 our nod for the Top Car for the environment this year.
Yes, an EV still does have a carbon footprint, and for a car like the Model 3 with a large battery, that carbon footprint isn’t necessarily better than an ICE vehicle’s during their respective production phases. However EVs are massively more energy efficient than even the best ICE vehicles, so over the course of their lifespan, ultimately offer a better outcome.
And that is what the Tesla Model 3 does so well – constantly rated as one of the most energy efficient EVs in tests around the globe, both casual and extremely comprehensive, it is no secret that Tesla is doing something so much better than the competition.
But you literally only have to drive a Model 3 and watch the numbers yourself to see just how dazzlingly efficient it actually is. Tesla's claimed range is effortless to achieve – even when driving it hard – while the 15kWh/100km figure we saw when last driving the most recently updated Chinese-built Model 3 Long Range was a testament to its excellent energy efficiency.
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WLTP tested figures for the Long Range is 16kWh/100km, and by way of comparison, our much smaller MG ZS EV long-term test car managed to better its WLTP claim too, but still returned more than 18kWh/100km during our time with it.
A potential black mark against it is the lack of ultimate transparency around the carbon produced during its production, but this is an industry-wide issue and certainly nothing specific to Tesla alone. It’s really only Polestar that is leading the true transparency charge, so it will be interesting to see if that catches on throughout the industry.
We can only hope it does – it will only make awards like this much easier to pick, and far more relevant.
Runner up: Polestar 2
While the Polestar 2 gets sort of close to the Model 3 in terms of energy efficiency (with WLTP figures of between 16.7 and 19.4kWh/100km depending on the model), it came close to nabbing this award from the Tesla due to Polestar’s aforementioned commitment to transparency.
Last year the company shared data revealing the carbon footprint of the entire life cycle of each version of the Polestar 2 EV, with the hope of leading by example in the automotive industry which, let’s face it, isn’t exactly known for the truth surrounding the environmental impact of their vehicles.
At the time CEO Thomas Ingenlath said “Every week, we see a new announcement that an automaker is changing direction towards electrification. But going electric alone is not enough. Making cars electric is not the end game, it is a starting point. We need to be honest and transparent.”
That transparency works its way into the Polestar’s interior too, all of which is sustainable or recycled, as well as fully recyclable.
Other contenders
Hyundai’s brilliant Ioniq 5 was a strong contender, due to Hyundai’s similar approach to a sustainable interior as Polestar, but it’s energy efficiency isn’t quite as good as either it or the Tesla.
But it does make a very good alternative if you are wanting something with a distinctive style and undeniable appeal.
Other contenders included the Peugeot e-208 and Mazda MX-30 for their approach of using smaller batteries for a smaller overall carbon footprint, albeit at the expense of range.