Monthly Myth: EVs just swap the tailpipe for a smokestack

Actually, EVs really ARE better for the environment  

BY TIM BENFORD: PRESIDENT OF DRIVE ELECTRIC DAYTON, PAST VICE-PRESIDENT OF ELECTRIC AUTO ASSOCIATION 

A popular myth among electric vehicle (EV) skeptics is that EVs are no better for the environment than conventional vehicles because they swap carbon emissions from the internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle’s tailpipe for the emissions from the electricity generating company’s coal-burning smokestack. In this article, we’ll explain why this is not true

First, greenhouse gas generation causes climate change and transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Secondly, burning fossil fuels is destructive for the environment, either directly in ICE vehicle engines (‘combustion’ is in the name, after all), or indirectly during the manufacture of ICE vehicles and EVs, as well as from the production and distribution of electricity and fossil fuels.

Direct Burning of Fossil Fuels

ICE vehicles, including hybrids, emit CO2 and SO2 pollution when burning fossil fuels. Incremental tweaks to combustion engine efficiency have been made for well over a century, but further improvements are limited. Today, the most significant reductions in gasoline consumption are made by adding an electric motor and small battery to the ICE vehicle when it is transformed into a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). This adds complexity to the manufacture and maintenance of what is essentially a vehicle with two motors and two separate power sources.

Indirect Burning of Fossil Fuel: Vehicle Operation

If coal-burning power plants were generating 100% of the electricity used by EVs in the U.S., the argument that EVs and gasoline-burning vehicles are equally as harmful to the environment might have merit. But this is not the case. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reports that electricity power plant emissions data for 2018 shows that electricity generated by coal power plants in the U.S. fell from 45% in 2009 to 28% by 2018.

Further, the fraction of US electricity generated from wind and solar quadrupled from 2% in 2009 to 8% in 2018, and continues to grow as utility companies benefit from cost reductions in the renewable energy sector.

So, pure Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) continue to reduce the amount of indirect fossil fuel consumption as the world’s power grids become ever greener. In addition, BEVs do not emit gases, and ICE cars continuously emit CO2 and SO2 and polluting particulates, whether they are in motion or idling at a traffic light. 

The more efficient a vehicle, the less energy it consumes, and therefore, the less pollution it emits. Electric motors convert 59 to 62% of the chemical energy in the battery and apply it to the wheels. By comparison, ICE vehicles convert just 17-21% of the energy in a gallon of gas. The remainder is wasted to friction and heat. EVs available today can have a comparable fuel economy of as high as 100 MPGe—more than quadruple the efficiency of an ICE vehicle.

The below graphic from the UCS illustrates that an average EV in Upstate New York, for example, would be enjoying very green electricity and the equivalent of 231 mpg. The worst case is 51 mpg and the average is 88 mpg. It’s not easy to find an ICE vehicle that runs at 88 mpg.

EV owners who add solar panels to their homes, and therefore are charging their vehicles very cheaply, or at no cost, can do even better. Solar panel purchases typically break even at the 7-year mark.

In sum, studies of “well to wheel” (production to operation) of both electric and gasoline cars have shown that EVs powered by electricity generated from the dirtiest coal plants are better for the environment than the most efficient ICE cars. Globally, the numbers are surprisingly consistent--driving electric is cleaner than gasoline in 95% of the world.

Indirect Burning of Fossil Fuel: Energy Manufacture

Emissions of CO2 from battery manufacture have been improving over time as battery factories have been scaled up. Most are running at full capacity and are more efficient per unit produced. Other segments of the EV life cycle have similarly improved, including the powering of public charging networks by solar and wind generation. Tesla has been equipping its Superchargers with battery storage and solar panels as quickly as possible, and as Tesla President Elon Musk tweeted: “Goal is 24/7 clean power with no blackouts.”

In contrast, significant CO2 is produced during the process of transporting gasoline to the pumps. Emissions are created during crude oil extraction, moving oil to a refinery, creating gasoline, and shipping it to filling stations. Unless the oil industry were to begin using electric trucks, this indirect burning of fossil fuels in support of ICE vehicles is in a steady state. 

Recycling Energy Sources

Once gasoline is burned in an internal combustion engine, it is gone forever, and the pollutants become part of our atmosphere. Nothing about gasoline can be recycled and oil deposits will eventually run out. Conversely, EV batteries can be charged up from renewable sources (more so over time) during their lifetimes and the battery materials can be recycled (up to 90-95% or more) and reused. 

Conclusion

From the above analysis, it is clear that EVs do not simply swap the tailpipe for a smokestack. They are much greener than ICE vehicles and are becoming greener over time. For personal vehicle trips that we can’t avoid, switching to an EV can make a big difference in pollutants produced and is one of the best (and most enjoyable) actions a household can take to reduce their carbon footprint. Next month, we’ll see if we can bust the myth that EVs are too costly to buy, maintain and repair.