Introduction: Germany’s ADAC has published its latest Ecotest results, and the 2024 rankings make one thing clear: electric vehicles remain the strongest performers when overall environmental impact is measured. The club evaluated 84 cars, looking not only at tailpipe emissions but also at the broader energy chain, including the electricity used to charge battery-electric models. The result is a list dominated by EVs, with the Peugeot e-208 taking the top spot and the Tesla Model 3 finishing fourth.
ADAC’s Ecotest is designed to give a more complete picture of a car’s real-world environmental footprint. Instead of focusing only on what comes out of the exhaust pipe, the test uses a well-to-wheel approach. That means the carbon cost of producing electricity, petrol, or other fuels is included in the final CO₂ calculation. For electric cars, this allows ADAC to estimate indirect emissions from power generation rather than treating them as completely zero-emission in every scenario.
The top of the 2024 table belonged to Stellantis. The Peugeot e-208 claimed first place, followed by the Peugeot e-308 in second and the Opel Corsa in third. All three benefit from relatively low energy consumption and favorable emissions scores once electricity production is factored in. The only non-electric vehicle to reach the top ten was the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid, underlining how difficult it remains for conventional drivetrains to match the best EVs in this type of assessment.
Efficiency played a major role in the outcome. The Peugeot e-208 and e-308 recorded consumption figures of roughly 16.0 kWh and 16.5 kWh per 100 kilometers, respectively. Even after accounting for upstream electricity emissions, ADAC calculated their CO₂ output at just 80 and 82 grams per kilometer. The Tesla Model 3, the largest car among the top five, used about 17.2 kWh per 100 kilometers and produced an estimated 86 grams of CO₂ per kilometer on the same well-to-wheel basis.
ADAC’s scoring system is split into two main areas. A vehicle can earn up to 60 points for low CO₂ emissions and up to 50 points for limiting other harmful pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. The CO₂ category tends to decide the overall winners, which is why the most efficient electric cars occupy the highest positions. However, the pollutant score reveals an interesting contrast: several combustion-engine models earned top marks because of advanced exhaust treatment systems.
In fact, some non-electric cars achieved full points for pollutant control. Models such as the Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI and the Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI were highlighted for very clean exhaust outputs, with the Passat Variant 2.0 TDI singled out for its low pollutant levels and efficient diesel consumption of around 5 liters per 100 kilometers. Still, because their overall CO₂ balance is weaker than that of the leading EVs, they did not challenge for the top overall positions.
The report also comes at a more challenging moment for the German EV market. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, 380,600 electric cars were registered in Germany in 2024, down sharply from 524,200 in 2023. The drop suggests that the removal of the country’s environmental purchase incentive had a noticeable effect on buyer behavior, even as the latest Ecotest shows that electric cars continue to lead on environmental performance.
Key results from the ADAC Ecotest 2024
| Vehicle | Type | Power (kW) | Ecotest CO₂ (WTW) | CO₂ Points | Pollutant Points | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peugeot e-208 | EV | 115 | 80 | 57 | 48 | 105 |
| Peugeot e-308 | EV | 115 | 82 | 56 | 47 | 103 |
| Opel Corsa | EV | 115 | 82 | 56 | 47 | 103 |
| Tesla Model 3 | EV | 208 | 86 | 55 | 45 | 100 |
| Opel Astra Electric Tourer | EV | 115 | 87 | 54 | 45 | 99 |
| Peugeot e-2008 | EV | 115 | 90 | 53 | 44 | 97 |
| VW ID.7 Pro | EV | 210 | 90 | 53 | 44 | 97 |
| MG4 Electric | EV | 150 | 91 | 53 | 43 | 96 |
| MG4 Electric Extended Range | EV | 180 | 92 | 53 | 43 | 96 |
| Toyota Prius 2.0 | PHEV | 164 | 104 | 49 | 46 | 95 |
| Tesla Model 3 LR | EV | 324 | 93 | 52 | 43 | 95 |
| BYD Dolphin | EV | 150 | 95 | 52 | 42 | 94 |
| BMW i5 eDrive40 | EV | 250 | 95 | 52 | 42 | 94 |
| Volvo EX30 Twin Motor | EV | 315 | 97 | 51 | 42 | 93 |
| Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV | EV | 215 | 96 | 51 | 42 | 93 |
| VW ID.7 Tourer GTX | EV | 250 | 97 | 51 | 41 | 92 |
| Volvo EX30 Single Motor | EV | 200 | 98 | 51 | 41 | 92 |
| Porsche Taycan | EV | 320 | 99 | 50 | 41 | 91 |
| Skoda Enyaq 85x | EV | 210 | 101 | 50 | 40 | 90 |
| Suzuki Swift 1.2 | MHEV | 61 | 130 | 40 | 49 | 89 |
| Audi Q4 e-tron | EV | 210 | 102 | 49 | 39 | 88 |
| Lucid Air Dual Motor | EV | 611 | 102 | 49 | 39 | 88 |
| Renault Scenic E-Tech | EV | 160 | 103 | 49 | 39 | 88 |
| Honda e:Ny1 | EV | 150 | 103 | 49 | 39 | 88 |
| Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid | FHEV | 105 | 132 | 39 | 47 | 86 |
| BYD Seal | EV | 230 | 106 | 48 | 38 | 86 |
| Lexus LBX | FHEV | 100 | 146 | 35 | 50 | 85 |
| MG MG3 1.5 | FHEV | 143 | 146 | 35 | 49 | 84 |
| VW Golf 1.5 TSI | Petrol | 85 | 148 | 34 | 50 | 84 |
| Honda Jazz Crosstar 1.5 | FHEV | 90 | 145 | 35 | 49 | 84 |
Overall, the 2024 Ecotest reinforces the message that compact, efficient electric cars currently offer the strongest environmental results in ADAC’s testing. At the same time, the rankings show that modern hybrids and highly efficient combustion models can still perform well in specific categories, especially when it comes to limiting local pollutants.
