Without green energy & efficiency, electric cars aren't the answer

While a shift to electric cars is widely touted as a brilliant way to reduce carbon emissions and dependence on oil, less attention goes to the issue of where the electricity for those cars will come from.

That’s a big question to leave sitting out there unanswered. If we plan to power tomorrow’s fleet of e-cars with electricity from solar, wind and tidal power — heck, even nuclear — that’s great: net greenhouse gas emissions and oil use go down and we continue on our merry motoring way.

On the other hand, if we fire up a growing number of coal-fuelled power plants to keep our cars charged and ready — or plow under vast spaces of woodlands for biofuel production — wouldn’t that make things worse?

That’s exactly what a new report from Transport & Environment concluded.

It states: “Electric cars can help reduce CO2 emissions from the transport sector provided two conditions are met: first, they must be more energy-efficient than state-of-the-art conventional vehicles on a ‘tank-to-wheel’ basis; second, the electricity to power the cars must be sourced from renewable sources.”

The report finds the first condition is pretty well met, noting that today’s electrics are two to three times more efficient than petrol hybrids or advanced diesels. The second condition, however, is “far from guaranteed.”

“Electric cars powered by wind or solar energy are obviously superior,” the report states. “But if the electricity comes
from coal, hybrids perform better.”

This past September, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso called for transport to be “decarbonised,” adding that electric cars would be a key element of that goal. However, today’s “supercredits” enable carmakers to sell up to 3.5 gas-guzzling SUVs for every electric vehicle they sell and still reach their official EU target. Electric cars are also counted as “zero emissions” despite the fact that the electricity they use can come from high-carbon fossil fuels such as coal.

The bottom line: carmakers who market electric cars to meet EU targets would have to do less to reduce emissions of conventional cars, meaning an overall increase in both CO2 emissions and oil consumption.

Upon releasing its report, Transport & Environment called for such loopholes to be dropped, and for CO2/fuel efficiency standards to be further tightened.

That strategy would be more effective than relying on “dream” technologies — hydrogen power and biofuels, for example — that have distracted policymakers from forcing carmakers to improve fuel efficiency across the board, the report found.

“The game for policymakers is cutting emissions and reducing our dependence on oil, not promoting electric cars,” said Jos Dings, director of Transport & Environment. “The EU must not take its eye off the ball again, and get distracted by technological hype. For electric cars to be a success for the environment, and for the industry, pressure on fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions for all cars must be kept up. Promoting electric cars without maintaining pressure on fuel efficiency standards will kill any chance of success.”

“There is a tremendous opportunity to make electrification of transport work for the environment,” the report concludes. “It should not be missed.”