Skeptics of electric vehicles have made the claim that the electricity used in the production and charging of these vehicles is just as impactful as fossil fuel cars. This myth has been completely debunked in a new report from the Universities of Exeter, Nijmegen, and Cambridge.
The report came to the conclusion that electric cars produce fewer emissions than fossil fuel vehicles 95% of the time. The missing 5% comes from areas that rely entirely on coal for their electricity like Poland.
Coal is one of the worst fossil fuels in the world, and due to being inferior to natural gas, it is being retired in most places. When coal is no longer in the picture, this number will grow to 100% of the time.
What Did the Researcher Look At
The researchers looked at many elements in their report. The first being the lifetime emissions of both electric and fossil fuel vehicles.
The report found that in countries that produce most of their energy from renewable sources, electric vehicles produce 70% fewer emissions in their lifespan than traditional fossil fuel cars.
The report also projects that by 2050, 1-in-2 vehicles will be electric. This will result in a reduction of 1.5 gigatonnes of carbon emissions from the transportation sector.
Overall, this will not completely solve the emission problem from transportation. However, a 70% reduction is a great starting point.
The biggest factor is the way a country produces its electricity. If they rely on fossil fuels, that reduction will be closer to 30% which is still very significant.
The Transition Will Be Key
The main problem is how countries will transition their car fleets from fossil fuel to electric. Many countries will be banning the selling of fossil fuel vehicles which will help significantly.
However, buying a new car is not cheap. The transition will take time, and with the rate that climate change is accelerating, it may be too late.
