Study finds electric cars more environmentally damaging than gas guzzlers
Surprise, surprise! A new study has found that in many cases electric cars actually do more damage to the environment that gasoline-run vehicles.
The study has a lot of uncertainties, and is based largely on statistical analysis, which I always find suspect. In addition:
The study’s biggest caveat, acknowledged by the researchers, is that they don’t consider a full “lifecycle” analysis of emissions—so things like making the car, drilling for oil, or transporting coal aren’t included in the environmental costs. Some previous work has found that EVs are cleaner than gas cars when you consider the totality of impacts; others have found that’s only true if the power grids that charge EVs are also clean.
Notice how they also don’t mention any of the environmental costs for making the batteries and components of an electric car. I wonder why.
Nonetheless, this study illustrates again why we should never rely on the opinions of politicians in these matters. They know less than nothing, and always base their policy on raw, simplistic emotions rather than complex knowledge. Better to let freedom, and the market decide. It always looks for the most efficient way of doing things, which in the end is always going to be better for the environment.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Surprise, surprise! A new study has found that in many cases electric cars actually do more damage to the environment that gasoline-run vehicles.
The study has a lot of uncertainties, and is based largely on statistical analysis, which I always find suspect. In addition:
The study’s biggest caveat, acknowledged by the researchers, is that they don’t consider a full “lifecycle” analysis of emissions—so things like making the car, drilling for oil, or transporting coal aren’t included in the environmental costs. Some previous work has found that EVs are cleaner than gas cars when you consider the totality of impacts; others have found that’s only true if the power grids that charge EVs are also clean.
Notice how they also don’t mention any of the environmental costs for making the batteries and components of an electric car. I wonder why.
Nonetheless, this study illustrates again why we should never rely on the opinions of politicians in these matters. They know less than nothing, and always base their policy on raw, simplistic emotions rather than complex knowledge. Better to let freedom, and the market decide. It always looks for the most efficient way of doing things, which in the end is always going to be better for the environment.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Electric cars (Leaf or Tesla) or an EREV like the Chevy Volt eliminate or drastically reduce the use of oil which for me is more important than questionable “environmental damage”. For national security and balance of payments reasons. The Arab/OPEC and Iranian oil embargoes of the 70’s (I remember sitting in gas lines for hours) and Gulf War 1 (Kuwait) are reasons enough for me to prefer American coal and NG electricity to power my car when I can…
SOME INTERESTING INFORMATION:
I just spoke to a customer who manages projects for a small company called Volta, its a very interesting business model. They install “FREE” auto charging stations in parking lots primarily in malls. The charging is free to the customer, the trick is that on the Volta charging station there is room for a rather large advertizing screen and companies are buying these spaces. They appear to be doing very well, and have to date built about 1000 stations and counting.
https://voltacharging.com/
He told me that by 2024 most all major auto companies including companies like Porsche will not be manufacturing any combustion engine type drive systems, all vehicles from then on will be primarily electric. ????? I have not heard that.
From the website ELECTREK: “The effort to electrify the car industry has been approached in several different ways. Tesla is definitely the leader with a larger production capacity than the competition. Established automakers have been having more troubles as they see a need to protect their gas-powered car business as they move toward electric vehicles. It has been making them hesitant to deploy significant new production capacity dedicated for electric vehicles, or even convert gasoline-powered car production capacity to electric vehicle production capacity.”
Just some feed back from the real world.
Cotour–
That 2024 date, is totally fake. (besides, the electric primarily comes from natural gas & coal.)
Chops–
You do realize— plastics are made from oil? ANY part in your electric car that is plastic, is from oil.
Mr. Z also brought up the batteries—those rare-earth elements don’t mine themselves and they aren’t all that “green.” Ditto for the microchips and electronic components– “dirty” as can be to manufacture, they just don’t have smokestacks at the chip factory.