Can EVs and solar save the world? The IEA thinks so
The International Energy Agency (IEA) released its 2023 Net Zero Roadmap today – here’s what’s happened since 2021 and what must urgently happen before 2030.
EV and solar lead the way
The International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Roadmap sets out what would need to happen in the global energy sector in the years and decades ahead to limit global warming to 1.5C. The IEA debuted the first roadmap in May 2021, and this latest release updates the first roadmap to take into account everything that’s happened in the last two years.
The 2023 Net Zero Roadmap takes into account the post-pandemic economic rebound and the incredible growth in some clean energy technologies but also increased investment in fossil fuels and stubbornly high emissions.
Since 2021, record growth in EV and solar sales, along with planned rollout for new manufacturing capacity, are in line with a pathway toward net zero emissions globally by 2050. That’s a big deal – and pretty good news – because those two technologies alone deliver one-third of the emissions reductions between today and 2030 in the pathway.
In the 2021 roadmap, the IEA projected that technologies not yet on the market would deliver nearly 50% of emissions reductions needed for net zero in 2050. That number of technologies not yet available has now fallen to around 35% in the 2023 update. In other words, the innovations are materializing and being applied.
Going forward, the Net Zero Roadmap says we’re going to have to seriously ramp up this decade to stay on track. Before 2030, the main actions we need to take are as follows:
- Global renewable power capacity must triple.
- The annual rate of energy efficiency improvement must double.
- Sales of EVs and heat pumps must rise sharply.
- Energy sector methane emissions must fall by 75%.
If we achieve these things – and they are achievable if geopolitics are set aside – then we will see more than 80% of the reductions that we need by the end of 2030.
IEA executive director Fatih Birol said:
The good news is we know what we need to do – and how to do it. Our 2023 Net Zero Roadmap, based on the latest data and analysis, shows a path forward.
But we also have a very clear message: Strong international cooperation is crucial to success. Governments need to separate climate from geopolitics, given the scale of the challenge at hand.
Dave Jones, global insights lead at energy think tank Ember, had this to say about the IEA’s 2023 roadmap:
Tripling renewable electricity is the single biggest action required this decade to secure a rapid shift away from fossil fuels. Electricity is the new oil, as clean electrification takes center stage. It requires world leaders to think big and build big. It’s not rocket science, but it does require the determination and urgency of a space race. Importantly, emerging economies need investment to enable them to enter the race, which ultimately will benefit us all.
Electrek’s Take
What’s also interesting to see in the 227-page 2023 roadmap are the technologies that got downgraded in climate mitigation scenarios. The IEA states that hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels, sustainable bioenergy, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) are critical to achieving net zero emissions but have all underperformed. Its perspective on CCUS, for example, is largely “one of unmet expectations.”
It’s a waste of time to include technologies in the climate change “space race” that haven’t made much or any progress. Green hydrogen hasn’t moved with the speed and efficacy of electrification, and CCUS – well, we at Electrek are at the point where we’ll believe CCUS when we see it.
It’s pretty clear what the world has to do: Keep the fossil fuels in the ground and electrify. Renewables and EVs will give us what we need to avoid the point of no return.
Read more: Global electric car sales’ ‘explosive growth’ – in numbers
Photo: Badenova
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The Honda Prologue is a surprise hit. It was the second-best-selling electric SUV behind the Tesla Model Y in the second half of 2024. Now, used models are in high demand.
Honda Prologue leads used EV sales growth in July
After it delivered the first customer models last March, the Honda Prologue quickly became one of the most popular EVs in the US.
Throughout the second half of the year, Honda sold an average of over 5,000 Prologues every month. In November, it was the third best-selling EV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.
Honda’s electric SUV continues to be a top seller this year. Last month, it outsold the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai IONIQ 5. Since delivering the first Prologue model last March, Honda has now sold 52,500 units in the US.
According to Cox Automotive’s latest EV Market Monitor report, used Honda Prologue EVs are selling faster than expected.
Used EV sales rose sharply in July to 36,670, up 23.2% from June and 40% compared to last year. Honda had the biggest increase in used EV sales, more than doubling (+103%) month-over-month. Hyundai (+61.3%) and Rivian (60.5%) ranked second and third.
Tesla led used EV sales last month, selling 15,903 vehicles, up 18% year-over-year. GM’s Chevy (3,499 units, +28.6%), Ford (1,967 units, +25.7%), Mercedes-Benz (1,724 units, -12.3%), and Nissan (1,659 units, +19.9%) rounded out the top five.
Although its market share slipped to 43.4% from 45.2%, Tesla remained the leader by a wide margin. Other luxury brands, including BMW and Audi, reported higher used EV sales in July, with increases of 43.87% and 38%, respectively.
According to the report, used EV listing prices reached $35,263 last month, a 1.9% decrease from June. With a price gap of just $1,266, a record low, used electric vehicle prices are closing in on ICE vehicles.
New EV sales also picked up in July. With over 130,000 EVs sold, up 26% from June, the electric vehicle market share reached 9.1%, the second-highest to date.
Ahead of the $7,500 federal tax credit deadline, set to expire at the end of September, 11 brands posted their best EV sales of the year. The top five included Tesla, Chevy, Hyundai, Ford, and Honda. Volkswagen surged to sixth after electric vehicle sales surged 454% last month.
The Honda Prologue starts at $47,400, but with the credit, you can snag one for under $40,000 right now. Honda is also offering monthly leases as low as $159 in California and other ZEV states. In other regions, it’s still listed for as low as $229 per month.
| 2025 Honda Prologue trim | Starting Price* | Starting Price After Tax Credit* |
EPA Range (miles) |
| EX (FWD) | $47,400 | $39,900 | 308 |
| EX (AWD) | $50,400 | $42,900 | 294 |
| Touring (FWD) | $51.700 | $44,200 | 308 |
| Touring (AWD) | $54,700 | $47,200 | 294 |
| Elite (AWD) | $57,900 | $50,400 | 283 |
Even Honda’s luxury brand, Acura, is selling more electric vehicles than expected. Through the first half of the year, the Acura ZDX outsold the Cadillac Lyriq, and it’s based on the same GM Ultium platform.
Sales are expected to continue picking up ahead of the deadline. As Cox Automotive highlighted, “July’s performance sets a strong precedent, and as policy support winds down, the market’s ability to respond to real-time demand and brand-level dynamics will be critical in shaping the next phase of growth.”
Ready to take advantage of the savings while they are still here? We’re here to help. You can use our link to find deals on the Honda Prologue in your area (trusted affiliate link).
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The waste management experts at Republic Services are committed to cleaning up the Chicagoland area — and now, that includes the air Chicagoans breathe, thanks to the deployment of new Mack LR Electric garbage trucks in the heart of America’s Second City.
Republic Services executives and partners from local utility ComEd gathered yesterday, 14AUG, to celebrate the deployment of Chicago’s first electric refuse fleet, featuring two new Mack LR Electric garbage trucks paid for, in part, by ComEd’s commercial EV rebate program.
“The Mack LR Electric is purpose-built for refuse applications, delivering zero local emissions while maintaining the durability and performance Mack trucks are known for,” reads the official Mack press release. “The electric powertrain provides quieter operation for early morning routes and helps fleet operators meet sustainability goals while supporting cleaner air quality in urban communities. With its low cab-forward design and tight turning radius, the LR Electric maintains the maneuverability essential for residential and commercial waste collection routes.”
The big Class 8 Mack Trucks are powered by a pair of electric motors putting 400 combined kW (about 536 hp) through a 2-speed Mack Powershift transmission that offers a whopping 4,051 lb-ft of peak torque output. That’s over 40% more power than the first generation Mack LR Electric released in 2019, and this iteration can charge the 376 kWh Samsung-sourced batteries fully in under two hours at 150 kW.
Real money, real results
While Washington continues to threaten America’s economic security and position as a global technology leader by toying with the idea of killing the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, the ENERGY STAR program, and other energy efficiency incentives, the private energy sector is stepping up with massive investments in battery storage, charging infrastructure, and commercial EV rebates – and Chicago is leading that charge (pun very much intended), with EV adoption outpacing the rest of the nation by 4:1 in Q1.
“ComEd is proud to support Republic Services in advancing zero emissions transportation for Chicago’s neighborhoods,” explains Melissa Washington, our senior vice president of customer operations and strategic initiatives. “As more customers take advantage of our EV rebate programs, we are helping empower customers to realize the air quality and energy savings benefits of EVs, and moving our communities closer to their goals for a more sustainable future.”
The new HD electric vehicles will be powered up nightly by equally new 150 kW DC fast charging stations from BP pulse, which are installed at Republic’s vehicle yard in the Little Village neighborhood. Part of the ComEd rebate money awarded to the company helped fund the make-ready infrastructure portion (effectively from the transformer to the stub) of that project, as well as at least one Ford F-150 Lightning pickup.
And, if these trucks look familiar, it might be because Republic Services also handles refuse collection for the City of Madison, Wisconsin, and added two Class 8 electric trucks to their garbage fleet last year in the form of a pair of similar Mack Electric LR HDEVs.
Electrek’s Take
Look, you know me. There is absolutely ZERO chance that I’ll be able to remain objective about anything that’s putting down more than four thousand lb-ft of torque. Make that thing quieter, cleaner, and generally better for me and my community, and there’s even less of a chance of me saying anything critical about it.
Here’s hoping more cities go electric rather sooner than later.
SOURCES | IMAGES: Mack Trucks, Republic Services, via LinkedIn.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s upcoming FSD update, Ford’s Universal EV platform, the new Acura NSX, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
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