The National Bureau of Economic Research just released a study that claims EV's can pollute more than gas cars. If you want to read the whole article on Arstechnica here it is:
How much do electric cars actually pollute? | Ars Technica
However, it's mistakenly doing an apple-to-oranges comparison to come to its conclusion and we need to get the word out that this study is flawed. As I'm sure some of you know, this is called the Well-to-Wheel's argument. That the generation of the electricity extends the tailpipe of EV's making them more polluting. RUBISH!
Anyone who comes to this conclusion always forgets that gasoline cars have extended tailpipes too, and if you're going to count the pollution from the extended tailpipe of EV's, then you need to include the extended tailpipe pollution for Gasoline cars too (which this study neglects to do). Here's a great video that explains this extremely well. Just skip to the 6 minute mark if you don't want to watch the whole thing:
Pilot | Fully Charged - YouTube
This is what I posted in the comments to the article, and I'm asking that everyone here create an account and promote my comment up (if you agree with it) to help spread awareness. Here's the link and what I posted:
How much do electric cars actually pollute? | Ars Technica
If you can't find my comment, just look for my username: Alexander2002
"I disagree with their conclusion that EV's are more polluting.
This is what's called the "Well-to-Wheel's" argument and as an EV owner I hear it all the time. I've done a lot of research and the problem with this argument is that if your going to calculate the total pollution of driving an EV, you also have to calculate the total pollution of driving a Gas car (which this study neglected to do). When you do a fair energy-production to gasoline-production comparison, gasoline cars come out to be FAR more polluting. Here's why:
To refine 1 gallon of gasoline it takes between 4 to 7.5 kWh's of electricity. That's a lot of electricity... In fact its so much that most refineries have their own power plants (usually coal burning). I could drive an EV 20 to 37 miles on the amount of electricity it takes to refine 1 gallon of gasoline.
The refinement process alone already makes gasoline cars more polluting then EV's, and that's just the pollution generated from the refining process. You also have to include the pollution created from:
- The drilling of the oil
- The pumping of the oil
- The storage of the oil
- The transportation of the oil (in ships or trucks which also burn gasoline)
- The pumping of the oil into the refineries
- The refining process itself (which we've already talked about)
- The transportation of the gasoline (in ships or trucks which also burn gasoline)
- The pumping of the gasoline into gas stations
- The pumping of the gas into your car
- Then finally the burring of the gas in your car
When you add up this entire process it comes out to 450 grams of CO2 per kilometer of driving (+/- 50 grams). Even if you charge an EV from the most polluting source of electricity (coal), its only 60 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Most of the time its much less then that. We use hydroelectric here in California so its 0 grams for us.
So if you're going to use the Well-to-Wheel's argument and account for the pollution that's created from the generation of electricity, then you also have account for the pollution that's created from the production of gasoline. When you do that EV's are the clear winner."
How much do electric cars actually pollute? | Ars Technica
However, it's mistakenly doing an apple-to-oranges comparison to come to its conclusion and we need to get the word out that this study is flawed. As I'm sure some of you know, this is called the Well-to-Wheel's argument. That the generation of the electricity extends the tailpipe of EV's making them more polluting. RUBISH!
Anyone who comes to this conclusion always forgets that gasoline cars have extended tailpipes too, and if you're going to count the pollution from the extended tailpipe of EV's, then you need to include the extended tailpipe pollution for Gasoline cars too (which this study neglects to do). Here's a great video that explains this extremely well. Just skip to the 6 minute mark if you don't want to watch the whole thing:
Pilot | Fully Charged - YouTube
This is what I posted in the comments to the article, and I'm asking that everyone here create an account and promote my comment up (if you agree with it) to help spread awareness. Here's the link and what I posted:
How much do electric cars actually pollute? | Ars Technica
If you can't find my comment, just look for my username: Alexander2002
"I disagree with their conclusion that EV's are more polluting.
This is what's called the "Well-to-Wheel's" argument and as an EV owner I hear it all the time. I've done a lot of research and the problem with this argument is that if your going to calculate the total pollution of driving an EV, you also have to calculate the total pollution of driving a Gas car (which this study neglected to do). When you do a fair energy-production to gasoline-production comparison, gasoline cars come out to be FAR more polluting. Here's why:
To refine 1 gallon of gasoline it takes between 4 to 7.5 kWh's of electricity. That's a lot of electricity... In fact its so much that most refineries have their own power plants (usually coal burning). I could drive an EV 20 to 37 miles on the amount of electricity it takes to refine 1 gallon of gasoline.
The refinement process alone already makes gasoline cars more polluting then EV's, and that's just the pollution generated from the refining process. You also have to include the pollution created from:
- The drilling of the oil
- The pumping of the oil
- The storage of the oil
- The transportation of the oil (in ships or trucks which also burn gasoline)
- The pumping of the oil into the refineries
- The refining process itself (which we've already talked about)
- The transportation of the gasoline (in ships or trucks which also burn gasoline)
- The pumping of the gasoline into gas stations
- The pumping of the gas into your car
- Then finally the burring of the gas in your car
When you add up this entire process it comes out to 450 grams of CO2 per kilometer of driving (+/- 50 grams). Even if you charge an EV from the most polluting source of electricity (coal), its only 60 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Most of the time its much less then that. We use hydroelectric here in California so its 0 grams for us.
So if you're going to use the Well-to-Wheel's argument and account for the pollution that's created from the generation of electricity, then you also have account for the pollution that's created from the production of gasoline. When you do that EV's are the clear winner."