On May 10th, it was reported that the environmental friendliness of electric cars depends on the cleanliness of the power source used, and there are significant differences between different countries.
Global car sales data shows that more and more people are buying electric cars, which do not emit carbon dioxide that causes climate change when driven. However, the impact of electric cars on overall emissions depends on the local power generation methods.
An analysis of 2022 emissions data from the electricity sector by independent environmental think tank Ember shows that “in some areas, electricity is mainly generated from coal, which has a high carbon dioxide emissions, weakening the role of electric cars in addressing climate change.”
By contrast, in the United States, the carbon dioxide emissions from electricity produced per kilowatt-hour is 368 grams in 2022, which means that the greenhouse gas emitted by driving electric cars in the United States is much less than in Germany or Japan. Germany’s carbon emissions from the electricity sector increased by over 5% year-on-year last year, after falling for ten years, reaching 386 grams of carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour. This makes driving electric cars in Germany less favorable for climate protection than in the United States and its neighbor France.
According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, last year, about 60% of electricity in the US came from fossil fuels, about 18% came from nuclear power, and 22% came from renewable energy.
Although the United States is usually regarded as a country that loves large-displacement cars and trucks, environmental think tank and advocacy group the Union of Concerned Scientists said that the United States has made significant progress in reducing emissions from the electricity sector. Since 2012, the organization has been tracking the cleanliness of electric cars compared to traditional fuel cars.
David Reichmuth of the group recently co-authored a research report on electric cars. He said that as more and more renewable energy enters the US power grid, the emissions from the overall electricity sector are decreasing. This means that electric cars are becoming cleaner because the carbon emissions generated during power generation are becoming less and less.
“People often underestimate this transition, that is, as the power grid becomes cleaner, the emissions from electric cars on the road will also change.” Reichmuth said.
“Regardless of where they are driven, electric cars are always a more environmentally friendly choice than gasoline-powered cars,” which has been proven by the European Environment Agency, the International Energy Agency, and academic research. For example, in 2020, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK, the University of Exeter, and the Netherlands found that driving electric cars is more beneficial to the climate in 95% of areas worldwide.
Although some people have considered the carbon emissions of battery manufacturing and metal mining, which account for a relatively large proportion throughout the entire lifecycle of electric cars, data released by the International Energy Agency last October showed that even using the worst battery materials, the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the entire lifecycle of electric cars are still less than half of those of fuel cars.
In addition, the environmental friendliness of electric cars is constantly improving. Ember’s 2023 global power industry review report shows that since the peak of global power generation carbon dioxide emissions reached 489 grams per kilowatt-hour in 2007, it has decreased by 11%.
However, due to different power generation methods in different countries, there are still significant differences in the emissions efficiency of driving electric cars worldwide.
Ember’s data shows that in the past decade, the carbon emissions of the European Union have dropped by nearly one-fifth, because the EU emissions standards have become stricter. But even within the EU, the cleanliness of electric cars varies greatly due to different countries’ power generation methods.
Norway is the EU country with the lowest emissions, with over 90% of its electricity coming from hydroelectric power, and carbon dioxide emissions of 27 grams per kilowatt-hour last year. France’s electricity sector relies on nuclear power for about 40%, and carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour are 85 grams.
By contrast, Poland is one of the most serious climate polluters in the EU and has always relied on coal-fired power generation. Currently, over 70% of its electricity comes from coal-fired power plants, and last year’s carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour reached 635 grams.
The “BRIC” countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China were once seen as the main drivers of global growth, but there are significant differences between these countries in terms of carbon emissions.
Data from the International Energy Agency shows that Brazil is one of the most active countries in turning to wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources, which account for about 92% of Brazil’s electricity. Therefore, the carbon dioxide emissions from Brazil’s electricity sector were 102 grams per kilowatt-hour last year.
India’s power plants mainly use fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas, and last year’s carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour reached 632 grams, making it one of the countries with the highest emissions in the world.
In 2022, China emitted 530 grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of power generated, mainly from coal and oil. Although it is still relatively high compared to other major economies, it has decreased compared to a few years ago, and with China accelerating the construction of nuclear power plants, more than 20 nuclear power plants are currently under construction, and emissions will further decrease in the future.
At the same time, as one of the world’s largest electric car markets, full electric cars accounted for 22% of new car sales in China last year, while Europe and the United States accounted for about 12% and 6%, respectively.
Globally, wind and solar energy now account for about 12% of electricity generation, and in the 60 countries analyzed by Ember, more than 10% of electricity comes from wind and solar energy. Ember analysts said that the global power sector is gradually approaching a critical point: the utilization of renewable energy is rapidly expanding, almost completely meeting the demand for power growth.
“Driving electric cars is becoming cleaner and cleaner worldwide,” said Phil MacDonald, Ember’s general manager.
