04/09/2019 16:25
There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the energy costs of electric vehicles, including the production of EV batteries and the overall running of the car.
Many believe electric vehicles will be just as detrimental to the environment than fuelled vehicles, due to the charging process and manufacturing of the car.
However, the Imperial College London has found that CO2 emissions are substantially less with electric vehicles compared to petrol and diesel models, and when electric cars are charging, they produce only a quarter of the CO2 that is produced by fuelled cars.
It was also found that in an EV’s lifetime, the CO2 emitted was half that of petrol and diesel cars.
Furthermore, smaller EVs, like the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf, were found to make up for the emissions produced in their battery production extremely quickly once they were on the road.
As the UK’s infrastructure develops, more eco-friendly ways to supply electricity are being established which will also contribute to lowering the impact EV charging has on the environment.
For instance, vehicle-to-grid technology is progressing and will reduce the demand for electricity, as well as putting energy back into the grid when necessary, benefitting the whole of the UK.
Solar and wind power will also be used for charging stations, creating more environmentally-friendly ways to produce an electric supply.
The developments in establishing greener energy production in the UK is contributing to the reduction in CO2 emissions from EVs.
In June this year, 55% of the country’s electricity supply came from low-carbon energy sources, such as wind, solar and biomass.
A member of the study, Dr Iain Staffell, believes that if the country continues to source electricity conscientiously, “any EV bought today could be emitting just a tenth of what a petrol car would in as little as five years’ time, as the electricity it uses to charge comes from an increasingly low-carbon mix.”
Staffell also states that: “EVs have real potential to reduce our carbon footprint and help meet our net-zero carbon ambitions – despite some speculation about how clean they are. An electric vehicle in the UK simply cannot be more polluting than its petrol or diesel equivalent – even when taking into account the upfront ‘carbon cost’ of manufacturing their batteries.”
These findings not only highlight the environmental benefits of switching to an electric car but also it reassures those who are still sceptical about electric vehicles.
Click here to learn more about electric vehicles.
Electric Cars vs Petrol and Diesel: What are The Benefits of Switching