EVskaala

EVskaala is a framework for evaluating electric vehicles (EVs) across multiple dimensions to enable standardized comparison. It is designed to translate complex performance data into a single composite score on a 0–100 scale, while also reporting sub-scores for individual aspects of vehicle performance.

Key dimensions include efficiency (measured as energy consumption per distance), durability and reliability (including estimated battery cycle life and component longevity), environmental impact (lifecycle emissions from production to end of life), charging performance (speed, availability, and grid resilience), and total cost of ownership (purchase price, incentives, maintenance, and energy costs). The framework specifies transparent data inputs and testing conditions to support reproducibility.

EVskaala was introduced in 2017 by researchers at the Nordic Institute for Sustainable Mobility in collaboration with industry partners. The proposal aimed to harmonize otherwise fragmented EV evaluation practices and facilitate policy analysis, supplier comparisons, and consumer information.

Adoption has been limited to academic settings and a small number of municipal fleet pilots. Several automakers have cited EVskaala-like concepts in their sustainability reporting, although no universal mandate exists for its use. Critics note that data availability and regional variations in charging infrastructure limit comparability.

Proponents argue that the framework provides a transparent, extensible approach that can evolve with new data sources, vehicle technologies, and policy contexts. Ongoing work focuses on defining standardized test procedures, data-sharing agreements, and methods to handle uncertainty in inputs.