Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) do not themselves
emit greenhouse gases but they may, like other electricity-powered devices,
result in the emission of carbon dioxide due to the burning of fossil fuels to
generate the electricity they use.Determining the amount of carbon dioxide that
results from charging an electric vehicle requires consideration of the power
sources for electricity generation whose use is increased because the vehicle
is being charged.Calculations
based on these marginal power sources show that in the western United States
carbon dioxide emissions caused by operating most, but not all, of the ten
popular BEVs examined are lower than those caused by any hybrid vehicle (HEV).
However, the amount of carbon dioxide attributable to driving a BEV in the East
is similar to or higher than the amount emitted when driving a high-efficiency
hybrid vehicle (HEV).
References
[1]
Bauer, C., Treyer, K., Heck, T., & Hirschberg, S. (2015). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Systems, Comparison, and Overview. Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09276-9
[2]
Burton, T., Powers, S., Burns, C., Conway, G., Leach, F., & Senecal, K. (2023). A Data-Driven Greenhouse Gas Emission Rate Analysis for Vehicle Comparisons. SAE International Journal of Electrified Vehicles, 12, 91-127. https://doi.org/10.4271/14-12-01-0006
[3]
Dones, R., Heck, T., & Hirschberg, S. (2004). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Energy Systems: Comparison and Overview. In C. J. Cleveland (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Energy (Vol. 3, pp. 77-95). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-12-176480-X/00397-1
[4]
Emilsson, E., & Dahllöf, L. (2019). Lithium-Ion Vehicle Battery Production. IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. https://www.ivl.se/download/18.694ca0617a1de98f473464/1628416191286/FULLTEXT01.pdf
[5]
Graff Zivin, J. S., Kotchen, M. J., & Mansur, E. T. (2014). Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity of Marginal Emissions: Implications for Electric Cars and Other Electricity-Shifting Policies. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 107, 248-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2014.03.010
[6]
Holland, S. P., Kotchen, M. J., Mansur, E. T., & Yates, A. J. (2022). Why Marginal CO2 Emissions Are Not Decreasing for US Electricity: Estimates and Implications for Climate Policy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 119, e2116632119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2116632119
[7]
Kelley Blue Book (2022). 10 Most Popular Electric Cars. https://www.kbb.com/best-cars/most-popular-electric-cars
[8]
Koch, T., & Böhlke, T. (2021). The Averaging Bias—A Standard Miscalculation, Which Extensively Underestimates Real CO2 Emissions. ZAMM Journal of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 101, e202100205. https://doi.org/10.1002/zamm.202100205
[9]
Miotti, M., Supran, G. J., Kim, E. J., & Trancik, J. E. (2016). Personal Vehicles Evaluated against Climate Change Mitigation Targets. Environmental Science and Technology, 50, 10795-10804. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00177
Onat, N., Kuckukvar, M., &Tatari, O. (2015). Conventional, Hybrid, Plug-In Hybrid or Electric Vehicles? State-Based Comparative Carbon and Energy Footprint Analysis in the United States. Applied Energy, 150, 36-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.04.001
[12]
Union of Concerned Scientists (2015). Average vs. Marginal Electricity Global Warming Emissions. In R. Nealer, D. Reichmuth, & D. Anair (Eds.), Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave (pp. 42-43). Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/ Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf
[13]
US Department of Energy (2023a). Electric Vehicles. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.shtml
[14]
US Department of Energy (2023b). 2023 Hybrid Vehicles. https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform& year=2023&vtype=Hybrid&srchtyp=yearAfv&pageno=1&sortBy =Comb&tabView=0&rowLimit=10
[15]
US Energy Information Agency (2023). How Much Electricity Is Lost in Electricity Transmission and Distribution in the United States? https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=105&t=3
[16]
US Environmental Protection Agency (2023). Greenhouse Gases Equivalencies Calculator—Calculations and References. Gallons of Gasoline Consumed. https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies- calculator-calculations-and-references
