The facts:

1- To accurately measure the carbon footprint of anything, we must first consider it’s entire life cycle. From planting  the seed to mining the precious metals.

Every new vehicle has a positive carbon footprint, be it ICE,  HEV or BEV.

(Internal Combustion Engine, Hybrid Electric Vehicle or Battery Electric Vehicle.)

The LCA (Life Cycle Carbon Analysis) for an average passenger vehicle is roughly +15-30 tons of CO2e. Many far exceed 100 tCO2e, however for this conversation (and for the sake of prudence) let's assume the number is +20 tCO2e. (This of course is before Big corporate and OEM's incorporate elaborate Carbon Offsetting measures such as purchasing carbon credits, that are not factored into this official and published calculation, largely to satisfy public opinion. Their mandatory yearly Carbon reports are regulated by the ISSB, TCFD and GHT Protocols, so there must be a relative degree of accuracy all things considered.

2- Every vehicle has an average life cycle, from mining the metal ore to manufacture to point of sale and finally disposal. This figure is widely contested relative to the specific geographical location in consideration. Accurate Industry terminology for this is Cradle to Gate to Grave, more often than not, simply “Cradle to Grave”. So for this conversation we will focus on Cradle to Gate, essentially the "embodied carbon" footprint. Embodied carbon is an established, quantifiable and accepted figure for the GHG emitted during the cradle to gate life-cycle phase for relativly anything. For this conversation we will take the global average life cycle of a passenger vehicle to be 15 years from cradle to grave. Therefore, all Classic or older vehicles that have stood the test of time, that have literally lived multiple life cycles, logically have historicaly accumulated multiple life cycles of embodied carbon “in credit”.

Through electrification in this case, gives these vehicles a second life which is essentially providing them with another life cycle, eliminating the emissions produced from the manufacture of yet another new vehicle. Utilising modern and reliable components, that are only improving in quality and availability whilst simultaniulously becoming less costly to source year on year, we are achieving our global goal of radically and disruptively reducing global GHG emissions. We alsonow have the options for them to be powered by fully renewable energy, and in some aplications built with 2nd life battery modules. This effectively magnifies this positive impact on Climate Change. Instead of creating another positive carbon footprint for a new vehicle ICE, HEV or BEV, we have created a negative carbon footprint. 

I have coined the term "HERO CLASS EV". Essentially "Hero Class" is the terminology added to a product for its significant impact on decarbonisationrelative to the alternative options available.

Quite simply acknowledging, accessing and therefore releasing the accumulated historic embodied carbon from multiple life cycles of vehicles, through the 2nd life process of sustainable electrification, created a negative carbon foot print.