APR 17

A recent report suggests that electrical vehicles (EVs) are not always the cleanest option among automobiles when you take into account the source of the electricity used for recharging. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists report on emissions and electric vehicles, in some instances, electric vehicles may sometimes be responsible for more emissions than some very efficient conventional vehicles.

Obviously, the electricity used to charge the vehicle must come from somewhere, and the fuel mix used to produce electricity varies regionally across the US. In areas where the oldest coal-fired plants are a large part of the electrical grid, powering an electric vehicle may be responsible for emissions equal to as much as 340 grams/mile. But, only about 18% of the US population lives in these areas. For the great majority of the country, the mix used to produce electricity is cleaner, meaning that EVs are that much cleaner, too.

Although the UCS report does help make the important point that an electric vehicle is not somehow the perfect solution, it nevertheless should not be taken the other way and presumed to suggest that electric vehicles are some sort of scam being perpetrated on the public. Even in regions with the dirtiest grid, an electric vehicle is still about 20% better than the average new compact car in terms of global warming emissions measured in grams per mile.

EVs also have the potential to get better. If old coal plants are taken offline, and new, cleaner power plants or more non-polluting, renewable energy sources are added to the mix, then the emissions of the EV go down. Vehicles with conventional engines don't have the ability to do anything like that at all.

via: AutoGuide.com

Comments (7)

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written by Ron, April 19, 2012

I'll mention that at the moment, a person with an electric car is also very likely to be a person with solar panels on their roof, so the emissions resulting from using the average electric vehicle might be better than the report suggests.

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written by Jonathan, April 20, 2012

Do these figures take in to account the impact of battery production and disposal?

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More than GHG
written by Michelle, April 20, 2012

What type of emissions are you discussing? Combustion is about more than greenhouse gases. Convential vehicles and combustion power plants alike release gases directly harmful to human health too. (Think carbon monoxide, benzene,

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written by Bob, April 25, 2012

Johnathan, if you want EV numbers that are all-inclusive, you need to compare them to fossil-fuel numbers that are all-inclusive, like the energy and emissions to get the petroleum out of the ground, transport it, refine it, and deliver it, not to mention the environmental damage of oil spills. You also need to consider the energy and emission costs of producing a regular internal combustion car. The issues you mention are perfectly valid, but let's impose the same requirements on the other side of the comparison.

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written by SteveG, April 26, 2012

I don't understand how you were able to turn a positive article about EV's into a negative one, or why you did it. It seems you went out of your way to highlight the single negative fact from the original content. Anything that improves air quality, reduces fossil fuel use, and reduces greenhouse emissions should be promoted, not bashed. I get misquoted "facts" like this from my republican friends. Are you a republican too?

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Next illogical conclusion
written by Eletruk, April 27, 2012

OK, let's take the next step. Let's compare the number of efficient cars in states that have a high coal source electrical grid. After all, we are interested in only comparing tailpipe emissions, right? So How many of these "very efficient conventional vehicles" get sold in those states that have high coal sourced power? Truth be told, most people in those states don't give a hoot about conservation or environmental issues, because it means coal provides jobs. Jobs, regardless of how low paying, how dangerous, and how badly it sickens the community is more important. Chances are in those states you don't sell many efficient cars. So you probably won't sell a lot of EVs there either.

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written by RobS, April 30, 2012

The grid data used to perform this report's analysis was taken from 2007, in that year the US electricity generation industry released 2,426 million tonnes of CO2 and coal supplied 48.5% of the grid electricity. By 2011 the US electric grid has dropped to 2,187 million metric tonnes of CO2 and Coal is now supplying only 42.2% of the grids electricity. Those improvements are consistent and possibly accelerating. Over 100 coal plants gave been retired since 2010 and new EPA rules should further accelerate the cleaning up of the US power grid. This report revealed a near universal benefit from electric vehicles with the 2007 US grid, since then grid CO2 emissions have fallen at least 10%, the old adage that electric cars are he only ones whose emissions improve with age as the grid improves is being proven correct in a spectacular way.

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