The reality: EVs require much less energy to operate than gasoline-burning vehicles. In fact, with the nation’s current electricity blend, an EV requires only about half the energy needed for a gasoline-powered internal combustion engine.   
  
[https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/)

**The liquid fuel logistics chain consumes and wastes massive amounts of primary energy long before a combustion engine ever starts.** According to data from the [U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory](https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/05/07/gasoline-production-energy-fossil-fuels-refineries-internal-combustion-engine-electric-vehicles/), refining just **one gallon of gasoline requires roughly 6 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of total energy**. \[[1](https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/05/07/gasoline-production-energy-fossil-fuels-refineries-internal-combustion-engine-electric-vehicles/), [2](https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/05/07/gasoline-production-energy-fossil-fuels-refineries-internal-combustion-engine-electric-vehicles/)\]

A standard electric vehicle (EV) can travel roughly **20 to 25 miles** using that exact same 6 kWh of energy. In contrast, an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle must first burn that 6 kWh of energy just to *create* the gallon of gasoline, and then burn the gasoline itself—wasting the vast majority of it as heat. \[[1](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/), [3](https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/05/07/gasoline-production-energy-fossil-fuels-refineries-internal-combustion-engine-electric-vehicles/)\]

The Refining Energy Sink

The petroleum refining sector ranks **first in total onsite energy use** across all manufacturing industries, accounting for roughly **25% of all manufacturing fuel and feedstock energy** used in the United States. \[[1](https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/energy_use_and_loss_and_emissions_petroleum.pdf), [2](https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2013/11/f4/energy_use_and_loss_and_emissions_petroleum.pdf)\]

* **Total Energy vs. Electricity**: While a portion of refinery energy is purchased grid electricity—ranging from [0.2 kWh to 0.8 kWh per gallon](https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/comments/s1c33k/crude_oil_refinment/)—the bulk of the 6 kWh required per gallon comes from burning "still gas," petroleum coke, and natural gas directly onsite to generate intense industrial heat. \[[1](https://www.cfr.org/articles/do-gasoline-based-cars-really-use-more-electricity-electric-vehicles-do), [2](https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/comments/s1c33k/crude_oil_refinment/), [3](https://spitfireresearch.com/so-exactly-how-much-electricity-does-it-take-to-make-a-gallon-of-gasoline/), [4](https://www.reddit.com/r/electricvehicles/comments/7sxxdp/you_have_enough_electricity_to_power_all_the_cars/)\]
* **The Opportunity Cost**: Whether the energy comes from the grid or from burning fossil fuels on-site, the sheer quantity of thermal and electrical energy sacrificed during distillation is enough to move an EV the same distance an average ICE car travels on the final product. \[, [2](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1242309506256283/posts/1820257918461436/)\]

The Logistics and Transport Penalty

Powering electric vehicles relies on an established electrical grid that transmits power through cables at high efficiency. Conversely, the logistics of supplying gas and diesel trucks requires a massive, continuous, fossil-fuel-powered supply chain: \[[1](https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/1aisarm/some_people_complain_about_the_amount_of/), [2](https://autoexpert.com.au/posts/the-energy-cost-of-petrol-production-aka-gasoline), [3](https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2025/05/07/gasoline-production-energy-fossil-fuels-refineries-internal-combustion-engine-electric-vehicles/)\]

* **Double Transportation**: Oil must be extracted via energy-intensive pumps, piped or shipped via massive oil tankers to a refinery, processed, pumped into tanker trucks, and driven thousands of miles annually to individual gas stations. \[[1](https://autoexpert.com.au/posts/the-energy-cost-of-petrol-production-aka-gasoline), [2](https://www.quora.com/How-much-electricity-is-currently-used-to-refine-petroleum-and-how-does-that-compare-to-whats-needed-for-electric-cars)\]
* **Trucking Fuel to Fuel Trucks**: Diesel tanker trucks weigh up to 80,000 lbs when fully loaded. Millions of gallons of diesel are burned every day by these trucks just to deliver fuel to local gas stations so that other ICE vehicles can fill up. \[[1](https://autoexpert.com.au/posts/the-energy-cost-of-petrol-production-aka-gasoline)\]

End-Use Efficiency: The Ultimate Divergence

The starkest contrast lies in how efficiently an EV uses its energy compared to an ICE vehicle or a heavy diesel truck once the fuel is delivered: \[[1](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/)\]

|**Vehicle Type \[**[1](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/)**,** [2](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1242309506256283/posts/1820257918461436/)**\]**|**Energy Wasted (as Heat)**|**Energy Converted to Motion**|
|:-|:-|:-|
|**Gasoline / Diesel Vehicle**|**\~80% wasted**|\~20% useful motion|
|**Electric Vehicle (EV)**|**\~11% wasted**|\~89% useful motion|

Gas and diesel vehicles suffer from a severe thermodynamic penalty: they must explode fuel to push pistons, generating massive amounts of heat that must be actively vented away by radiators. EVs bypass this entire thermal conversion process, converting electrical energy directly into rotation with almost no wasted energy. \[[1](https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/01/electric-vehicles-use-half-the-energy-of-gas-powered-vehicles/)\]

An EV Is More Efficient Than a Gas Car Even When Powered by 100% Coal