DOE: US average EV CO2e/year is 4,815 lbs, vs. 11,435 lbs for average gasoline car
07 November 2016
Although all-electric vehicles (EVs) produce zero tailpipe emissions, there are upstream emissions of greenhouse gases from electricity production. Using electricity production data by source and state, the DOE’s Alternative Fuels Data Center has estimated the annual carbon dioxide (CO2e)-equivalent emissions of a typical EV.
The national average is 4,815 pounds (2,184 kg) of CO2-equivalent emissions for a typical EV per year as compared to the average gasoline-powered car which produces 11,435 pounds (5,187 kg) of CO2-equivalent emissions annually.
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| Annual well-to-wheel emissions from a typical ev by state, 2015. Source: DOE. Click to enlarge. |
EVs charging in Vermont are estimated to produce the fewest emissions—oil and gas make up only 1.2% of the electricity sources in the state while cleaner sources such as nuclear, hydro, biomass, wind, and solar make up the rest.
West Virginia’s electricity production is 95.7% from coal, making it the state with the most well-to-wheel CO2-equivalent emissions.
| Well-to-Wheel emissions from a typical EV by state, 2015. Data: DOE. Click to enlarge. |
Where would a 4G Prius and a VW golf Tdi fit in there ?
Posted by: mahonj | 07 November 2016 at 03:12 PM
Here are the assumptions:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions_sources.html
The ICE mpg is 24.3, a Prius should get 52 so it would be only very slightly worse than the EV average.
Posted by: mahonj | 07 November 2016 at 03:19 PM
Blaming fossil fuel power plant pollution on EVs is nonsense. What if you were running an oil pump jack off a power line? Would you say the pump jack is polluting at the power plant?...no,you wouldn't. This is just made up crap by the fossil fuel people to try and cover the pollution of lousy, dirty ICEVs. The pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels at the power plant and has nothing to do with the load on the line. It could just as easily be a toaster or a washing machine...nonsense and a real reach to blame pollution on EVs. You want to see pollution using this nonsense calculation, try calculating what creating gasoline does at the power plant by including the power needed to mine, transport, refine and distribute the products...a lot more than plugging in an EV.
Posted by: Lad | 07 November 2016 at 10:36 PM
Mahonj comparing the best of gassers with the average of EVs in the current grid is not really relevant. It is more relevant to compare the best of gassers with the best of EVs which is EVs that run on zero emission electricity and no matter how efficient the gasser the BEVs always win in that comparison. This is not hypothetical as many BEV buyers are also buying zero emission electricity and soon Tesla owners will be making zero emission electricity privately on that Tesla solar roof that will be marketed later next year.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 08 November 2016 at 03:38 AM