Submitted by Greg Conder, P.E.
We were curious if electric vehicles actually have less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional internal combustion vehicles. One might conclude “of course” if considering driving only. However, when battery production and the source of electricity used for recharging is considered, the picture is not so clear.
We found a nice article from UK-based Carbon Brief that seemed to be objective and mostly apolitical.
The key that must be considered is the method of electricity production that powers the vehicle & battery factories and the recharging of the batteries. For example, if the method is coal, then the overall emissions due to electric vehicles will be increased and could equal or exceed overall emissions from conventional vehicles. If the method is “clean”, such as solar, then the overall emissions would be less.
At C&C Machine, we are not experts on electric vehicles, but did find the information curious and informative. We manufacture custom electrical components like bus bars, connectors and heat sinks.
