With calls growing to relax the UK’s EV sales targets, automotive manufacturers are facing renewed questions over the pace and shape of the transition to electrification – and the future balance between electric and hybrid vehicles.

Comparing their environmental impact isn’t as simple as looking at what happens on the road. Raw materials, battery production and manufacturing all contribute to the emissions picture, making the full vehicle lifecycle increasingly important as manufacturers weigh up future product decisions.

The transition to electric vehicles is not happening at the same pace across every market, and automotive manufacturers are having to make product decisions against a backdrop of changing consumer demand, cost pressures and evolving regulation.

As that transition evolves, understanding the environmental impact of different vehicle technologies is becoming an increasingly important part of those decisions. Comparing electric and hybrid vehicles means looking beyond what happens on the road to their impact across the full vehicle lifecycle, from raw materials and battery production through to manufacturing and end of life.

Understanding those lifecycle impacts across different scenarios gives manufacturers a more complete picture of the trade-offs involved. Using credible, consistent data, they can test how different assumptions and technology choices affect overall emissions and make more informed product decisions as the automotive transition takes shape.