Do electric cars really harm the environment less than gasoline-powered cars?
Electric vehicles are often touted as a more environmentally friendly than cars powered by gasoline. But all that electricity has to be produced somewhere, so it got us to wondering if EVs really are better for our planet than traditional vehicles. To find out, as part of our regular One Big Question series (OBQ), we put the question to John B. Heywood, Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Here's what he had to say ... The short answer is: At present yes, electric cars are somewhat better. In the United States, where coal use in electricity generation has now decreased to less than 40 percent as a consequence of the greening of the grid, BEVs emit about half the GHGs per mile than does a comparable gasoline-fueled car. This comparison is done on a full life-cycle basis – as it should be – from cradle to grave. In Eastern Europe, where coal-based electricity generation is close to 60 percent of the total, the current GHG benefits of BEVs are some 30 percent. As renewable electricity supply increases and coal use decreases over the next twenty years, these BEV environmental benefits will likely increase on-average to about a two-thirds reduction in GHG emissions, and the air pollution benefits will significantly increase. Note that the fuel efficiency of conventionally-powered vehicles, over the same twenty year period, will improve by about one-third through use of new and better technology. This is good news and helps us all, but it does reduce the comparative benefits of BEVs, some. There are several major uncertainties and questions in this "look ahead." Battery-powered electric vehicles have been purchased by the public and are being used in the real world at the several-hundred-thousand vehicles level total, worldwide, though currently sales are lagging expectations. The total number of cars in use today is approaching one billion. Large reductions in environmental impacts, requires large volume vehicle sales and use. Note, there are alternative forms of plug-in electrified vehicles such as plug-in hybrids, which have an engine on board to augment the electric drive and to recharge the battery when needed. These are also being produced, sold, and used, at comparable scale to BEVs. Plug-in hybrid vehicles provide normal driving range and greater recharging flexibility, and may well, overall, drive the same number of electric miles, annually, as do BEVs. Major efforts to push the transition from petroleum-based fuel vehicles towards greater use of electrified vehicles are now occurring. The likely extent of their eventual success is unclear. |