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Electric Car Charging Can Create More Emissions Than Fueling

New study shows that in regions highly dependent on coal for electricity, plug-in vehicles are not always more green.

By Claire_Martin Apr 19, 2012 8:18AM
Chevrolet Volt photo by ChevroletEighteen percent of Americans live in regions where charging an electric vehicle like the Chevy Volt, which burns no gasoline, emits more global warming pollutants than some gasoline-fueled cars do, according to a new study by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). Whereas electric vehicles that are charged with renewable sources of energy, including wind and solar power, produce almost no global warming emissions, those charged on grids dependent on coal-burning power plants have much higher emissions. 

The worst region in the country for charging emissions? The Rockies. "The Rocky Mountain grid region (covering Colorado and parts of neighboring states) has the highest emissions intensity of any regional grid in the United States, which means an [electric vehicle] will produce global warming emissions equivalent to a gasoline vehicle achieving about 33 mpg," according to the study. "Gasoline-powered cars with fuel economy at this level include the Hyundai Elantra (33 mpg) and the Ford Fiesta (34 mpg)."

While charging in this region is still an improvement over the emissions generated by the majority of fuel-burning vehicles, it's not the zero-emissions equation most people think they're signing up for when they buy an electric vehicle. 

"This will certainly make it clear that even with no tailpipe emissions, there are emissions associated with charging [an electric vehicle]," Don Anair, one of the UCS researchers, told the Detroit Free Press.  

The good news is that electric vehicles do minimize emissions in most of the country. On the coasts, where grid energy is cleanest, charging an electric vehicle produces emissions equivalent to a gasoline-burning vehicle that gets as much as 50 miles per gallon. In Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida and parts of the South and Midwest, that number drops to 41 to 50 miles per gallon -- similar to what hybrids achieve. In most of the Midwest, the average is 31 to 40 miles per gallon. 

Cutting back further on emissions will require a larger effort, according the UCS study: "[Our] nation’s reliance on coal-powered electricity limits electric vehicles from delivering their full potential," UCS researchers wrote. "Only by making improvements to our electricity  grid—by decreasing the use of coal and increasing the use of clean and renewable sources of electricity—will electric vehicles deliver their greatest global warming and air pollution benefits."
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17Comments
TK Dave
Apr 19, 2012 5:23PM
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It would be nice to know how much the Oil companys payed them

for this study.

dezenutz
Apr 19, 2012 4:00PM
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Just wondering  does this method of converting emissions used to generate electricity to charge an electric vehicle to MPG really makes that much sense? Using there thinking,  a  gas-only powered vehicle(Fiesta, Elantra, etc) operates on gasoline that also has additional emissions related to drilling, shipping the oil to refineries, and then trucking the fuel  to gas stations(many additional sources of emissions I surely missed) and thus would have a far worse "MPG equivalent" rating.
The Beltway
Apr 19, 2012 12:33PM
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Electrics are just another indication of the "green" myth to go along with global warming.  What is it about our government over the last 40 years where the solution is often worse than the problem it was supposed to solve.  MBTE and corn-based Ethanol come to mind.
shrimp_roll
Apr 19, 2012 9:54AM
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i was sort of exaggerating on that figure.lol.Embarrassed
insert random name
Apr 19, 2012 9:04AM
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don't forget to pay your one thousand dollars per year for road and highway upkeep that you are not paying at the pump!

You might want to double check that number.  Last year I paid less then $300 for road and highway upkeep through taxes at the pump.  And I drove more then 30k miles last year.

shrimp_roll
Apr 19, 2012 8:48AM
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i agree 100%. then there is always nuclear power plants (you know the trade off with nuclear fuels).

don't forget to pay your one thousand dollars per year for road and highway upkeep that you are not paying at the pump!

insert random name
Apr 19, 2012 8:47AM
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Strange.  Just the other day, on this same website, I read an article explaining how plug-in vehicles are greener then their gasoline counterparts in all parts of the country, including the coal powered areas. 

 

Different studies produce different results.  I would be willing to be that in both cases, the studies discovered what they WANTED to discover in the first place.

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