Picture this: You just charged your 300-mile range electric car—using your solar-powered home charging station, naturally—and are ready for your daily commute. You’re cruising with the windows down, taking in the beautiful forest scenery around you, knowing your car isn’t emitting carbon pollution into the air.
At Lemonade Car, we help make the world a little bit greener by planting trees based on your mileage, if you drive a gas-powered or hybrid car. However, if you own an EV, we don’t plant trees as you drive. What gives? We’ll explain.
What is Lemonade Car’s tree planting program?
Glad you asked! At Lemonade Car, we care about the issues facing our planet. So until we reach a day when sustainably powered electric cars and public transit are accessible for all, we strive to help environment-conscious drivers reduce their carbon footprint.
That’s why we’ve committed to planting trees to help clean up carbon emissions from the miles our gas-powered and hybrid car drivers spend behind the wheel. Check out how our tree planting program works—like how we calculate how many trees to plant, and what habitats are being restored through the program.
How do the carbon footprints stack up for gas-powered cars vs. electric vehicles?
It’s true: Manufacturing and powering any type of vehicle has some environmental impact. When calculating the carbon footprint of any vehicle, it’s also important to factor in the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions it will release into the atmosphere during its lifetime.
There are some myths out there about the environment-friendliness of EVs—claiming that they’re worse for the climate than gas-powered cars because of the power-plant emissions that result from battery manufacturing, as well as the energy that’s expended to charge them. The EPA debunks these kinds of myths.
There’s no denying that electric cars contribute to carbon pollution, but compared to gas-powered cars, they’re still a huge step in the right direction.
Take tailpipe emissions, for example—EVs simply don’t have them (at least directly). Since gas-powered cars release harmful tailpipe emissions into the air we breathe, EVs actually tend to produce lower total emissions during their lifecycle.
So, why won’t Lemonade plant trees for the miles I drive in my EV?
Because you’re already doing your part for the planet!
But really, your electric car isn’t blasting pollutants and toxins into the environment for every mile you drive. So there’s less need to plant trees to help clean up the emissions that you aren’t contributing. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back, just a little.
What else does Lemonade Car do for the planet?
We’re fueled by our love for the environment, being the first US insurance company to publicly forswear investment in fossil fuels.
The Lemonade Giveback helps transform car insurance from a necessary evil to a social (and environmental) good. Here’s how: When you buy a Lemonade Car policy, you’ll be eligible to select a cause you care about—including environmental protection—from a list of over 60 nonprofits.
Each year, the cause you chose could receive up to 40% of the unclaimed money from your premium. That adds up to a major impact—like planting hundreds of thousands of trees in critical ecosystems, cleaning up tens of thousands of pounds of litter from beaches nationwide, and supporting thousands of climate activists. Take a look at where over $1.8 million went for 2022’s Giveback.
Before you power off…
Did you know you could be eligible for a discount on your premiums when you bundle with more than one Lemonade policy? In addition to Lemonade Car, we offer great coverage, pricing fairness, and speedy claims resolution on pet, renters, homeowners, and life insurance.
Please note: Lemonade articles and other editorial content are meant for educational purposes only, and should not be relied upon instead of professional legal, insurance or financial advice. The content of these educational articles does not alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of policies issued by Lemonade, which differ according to your state of residence. While we regularly review previously published content to ensure it is accurate and up-to-date, there may be instances in which legal conditions or policy details have changed since publication. Any hypothetical examples used in Lemonade editorial content are purely expositional. Hypothetical examples do not alter or bind Lemonade to any application of your insurance policy to the particular facts and circumstances of any actual claim.
This post is general in nature. Any statement in this post does not alter the terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations of policies issued by Lemonade, which differ according to your state of residence. The terms, conditions, exclusions, or limitations applicable to your policy depend upon your unique circumstances, and you are encouraged to discuss your specific circumstances with your own professional advisors. The purpose of this post is merely to provide you with information and insights you can use to make such discussions more productive. Naturally, all comments by, or references to, third parties represent their own views, and Lemonade assumes no responsibility for them.
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