Monday 23 March 2020

‘The idea EVs could increase emissions is essentially a myth’

Electric cars are ‘considerably’ healthier for the earth’s climate, despite some suggestions that they generate more emissions during production and electricity generation.

That's according to new research published by the universities of Exeter, Nijmegen and Cambridge, which states electric vehicles (EVs) produce 70% less overall emissions than petrol vehicles in France and Sweden, countries that primarily use renewable energy, and 30% lower in the UK.

Abating fears that EVs may not be ‘greener’ than fossil-fuel based vehicles, the study projects half of all cars become electric by 2050 and notes this would see carbon dioxide emissions cut yearly by 1.5 gigatonnes, equivalent to Russia’s total emissions.

The study also noted that electric household heat pumps produce lower emissions than fossil fuel-based alternatives in almost 95% of the world.

Dr Jean-Francois Mercure of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter said: “We started this work a few years ago and policy-makers in the UK and abroad have shown a lot of interest in the results. The answer is clear: to reduce carbon emissions, we should choose electric cars and household heat pumps over fossil-fuel alternatives.”

Lead Author of the study at the Environmental Science Department at the University of Nijmegen, Dr Florian Knobloch, added: “In other words, the idea that EVs or electric heat pumps could increase emissions is essentially a myth.”