Sustainability Language

Energy & Transition

Battery electric vehicle (BEV)

A vehicle powered solely by an electric motor drawing on a rechargeable battery — the dominant category within electric vehicles and a cornerstone of road-transport decarbonisation.

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Definition

A road vehicle propelled entirely by one or more electric motors powered by an externally rechargeable battery pack, with no internal combustion engine. BEVs are distinguished from plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which retain a combustion engine, and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which generate electricity from hydrogen on board. BEVs made up around 65% of global electric car sales in 2025.

References

Overview

What it means

BEVs have zero tailpipe emissions; their life-cycle advantage over combustion vehicles depends on electricity carbon intensity and battery production impacts, and grows as grids decarbonise. In 2025 more than 20 million electric cars were sold worldwide — one in four new cars — with China the largest market (over 13 million electric cars, ~55% of new car sales).

How it is used

Policy drives adoption through emission standards, purchase incentives and charging infrastructure; lifecycle and footprint analysis compares BEVs with alternatives across use phases. Battery supply chains (critical minerals, manufacturing emissions, end-of-life) are the main sustainability frontier for the segment.

Why it matters

Road transport is a leading source of energy-related emissions, and BEVs paired with clean power are its primary scalable decarbonisation route — making sales shares and fleet turnover key indicators of transition pace.

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