Radiant Energy Group: electric cars in a number of countries have harmed the planet more than conventional cars with an internal combustion engine, writes Reuters, citing research by the consulting company Radiant Energy Group (REG). If a country's energy system relies heavily on coal, the use of electric cars leads to a large amount of carbon emissions.
The analysis was carried out on the basis of publicly available data from the European network of transmission system operators ENTSO-E and the European Environment Agency (EEA). The amount of emissions from the use of electric cars depends on what energy sources the country's energy system relies on and at what time of day residents charge their cars. As a result, it turned out that in Poland and Kosovo, electric cars emit more harmful emissions than cars running on gasoline.
“The impact of switching to electric vehicles on carbon emissions is highly dependent on the country's energy consumption structure. (…) Countries need to develop robust and achievable strategies for decarbonizing the electrical system for this transition to be successful, ”said REG researcher Sid Bagga.
The best result in terms of “saving” emissions when using electric cars was shown by Switzerland, which is fully provided by nuclear and hydropower – 100 percent. It is followed by Norway at 98 percent, France at 96 percent, Sweden at 95 percent and Austria at 93 percent.
Meanwhile, Cyprus lagged behind with 4 percent, Serbia with 15 percent, Estonia with 35 percent and the Netherlands with 37 percent. The largest car manufacturer in Europe, Germany, saves only 55 percent of greenhouse gases using electric vehicles, as the country uses a combination of renewable energy and coal to power the country.
In countries actively developing solar and wind energy, carbon savings due to driving an electric car depends on the time of day at which drivers charge their vehicles. Germany and Spain have decided to ditch fossil sources in favor of these types of energy. So charging an electric car there during the day saves 16-18 percent more carbon than at night, when the grid is mostly fueled by gas or coal.
In November, BMW announced that it would begin using a new energy source to charge electric cars. The automaker will generate electricity by capturing methane from manure. According to BMW Energy Services Manager Adam Langton, this charging method will not only provide clean energy for cars, but also reduce methane emissions from dairy farms and bring agricultural communities a new source of income.