Is an EV Without Lifestyle Change Just a Fancy Confessional Booth?

Are wealthy EV owners using them to greenwash their otherwise high emissions?

I was raised by a very pragmatic down-to-Earth father. By all means, he wasn’t perfect, but thanks to him I learned so much about how to live a life that makes sense to your values. And one of the things my dad hated the most was hypocrisy, especially those who expected people to do one thing but did the opposite themselves. People who claimed that others were poor because of overspending but overspent themselves. Or pretended to have perfect marriages while everybody knew they were cheating on their spouses (we lived in a small town, we all knew).

Worse were the people who pretended to be the most religious and correct, yet only went to mass every Sunday to feel better about their ‘sins’ after confessing to the priest. ‘What’s the point of asking for forgiveness if you are going to do it again? If there’s a God, they know what they’re doing,’ we would think.

In the present-day, there may be fewer pious church-goers, but we see ‘confession booth’ hypocrisy in a new guise: personal, performative greenwashing. Let me explain.

When we think of electric vehicles (EVs), the image that often comes to mind is one of an eco-friendly solution to our ever-growing carbon emissions problem, right? EVs are often championed as the future of sustainable transportation, hailed for their lack of tailpipe emissions and lower lifetime environmental impact compared to traditional gasoline-powered cars. And while this may be true, they also offer the perfect façade for wrongdoers.

A recent study from Finland provides a surprising perspective: EV owners actually tend to have a bigger carbon footprint than the average person.

What? Why? Don’t act surprised, you knew it, and I knew it. Deep down, we all knew it.

It all comes down to wealth, lifestyle, and, perhaps, a little bit of greenwashing. Just a tiny bit.

But let’s back up, how did the study authors reach this conclusion?

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland analyzed responses from the CLIMATE NUDGE survey, which collected information from nearly 4,000 adults across the country. Participants answered questions about their lifestyle choices, car use, environmental views, and attitudes toward EVs.

By comparing the data between EV owners and the general population, the team sought to understand who exactly is buying EVs and whether they are truly as eco-friendly as they appear on the surface.

The results of the study were eye-opening, yet easily anticipated. EV owners in Finland tend to be wealthier, more educated, and drive more miles annually than the average person.

And while owning an EV might seem like a step in the right direction, these same factors contributed to an overall higher carbon footprint. The simple reality is that wealthier people typically consume more — whether it’s electricity, goods, or travel… and are more likely to be able to afford an EV.

As the authors highlight: “Wealthier people, in general, have a bigger carbon footprint — they use more electricity, which is most often produced at a coal-burning plant, they consume more goods, the production of which tends to release greenhouse gases, and they drive more and travel more.”

So, while EVs reduce emissions compared to like-for-like use of traditional cars, the habits and lifestyle of the average EV owner more than offset those gains.

It’s also worth noting that EV owners are likely to have more than one car. Many households that own an EV also have at least one internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) for longer trips or specific purposes. So, the overall environmental benefits might be less than what one might assume when looking solely at the EV prominently displayed in the driveway.

Things aren’t always what they look like, right?

The phenomenon of wealthier populations owning EVs while maintaining high overall carbon footprints raises an important issue regarding societal greenwashing.

Simply put, some people buy an EV not because they’re committed to reducing their overall emissions but because it makes them feel more environmentally friendly. To me, this is the lienk to the ritual of confession: just as one might confess their sins to a priest to feel better about their moral lapses, owning an EV can serve to some (not everyone, of course, more on that later) as a way to “offset” other lifestyle choices that are far from green.

Of course, this confessional effect doesn’t reduce one’s carbon footprint nearly as much as some might hope. Just as attending confession but continuing to live without moral improvement misses the mark, owning an EV while maintaining a high-carbon lifestyle doesn’t bring the kind of environmental benefits we need to see on a global scale.

So, what’s the true environmental cost of EVs? A central issue highlighted by the Finnish study is the cost of EVs. Until these vehicles become more common and are sourced in more environmentally friendly ways, their high price tag will continue to mean that only those who can afford them will buy them.

Ironically, these are often the same people who have high-consumption lifestyles — driving more miles, flying more often, and living in bigger homes. Yes, it didn’t escape us.

But don’t worry, it’s not all bad news. EVs DO offer benefits over traditional vehicles when it comes to emissions, especially in countries with greener electricity grids. The study simply serves as a reality check: switching to EVs isn’t a panacea for our environmental wrongdoings. Real change comes from a broader re-evaluation of our lifestyles and consumption patterns. This include driving less, not simply ‘better’.

It also means not buying yet another expensive vehicle. But deep down, you knew that, right?

Real progress will require not just better technology but also a shift in how we live, consume, and move around. For instance, some highlight that keeping your old internal combustion vehicle may, in some cases, be more environmentally friendly than buying a new shiny EV.

Without addressing the bigger picture of wealth, consumption, and lifestyle, the impact of EVs will be limited — just a feel-good solution while the world burns.

So, if you’re considering getting an EV, it’s worth considering how it fits into your broader lifestyle. Are you truly using it to reduce your carbon footprint, or is it just a shiny new confessional booth to make you feel better about your other habits? Could you offset more carbon by changing some other things in your lifestyle? Could you walk or bike to the office, bus, or metro stop instead?

Until EVs become more affordable and accessible, their high cost will continue to mean that the people who can buy them are often those who, in other ways, contribute most to carbon emissions. Real change will take more than just driving the right kind of car — it’s about rethinking how we live altogether.