G. David Felt
Alternative Fuels & Propulsion writer
www.CheersandGears.com

 

 

Zero Emission Auto's, are they truly Greener than Gas?

 

Many people here know me as a CNG person. Some will say electric is greener than CNG and Gas. We know CNG is cleaner than GAS, but is pure electric truly greener than CNG or gas?

 

I have talked about how much CO2 is produced during the battery building stage for these pure electric cars. I have also pointed out that in places where Coal is used for creating energy, electric is dirty compared to CNG or Gas.

 

Yes living in the Pacific Northwest, Washington has an abundance of Hydro and wind power, so Electric cars are very green. Even in the south, Southwest where solar is a huge factor, electric is pretty green. Yet once you move to the Midwest and East-coast, Electric auto's become far dirtier than normal gas powered auto's and CNG or Hybrids like the Chevy VOLT are cleaner than electric auto's.

 

Yes you have nuclear in select areas but even than you have the waste from these plants that cause issues.

 

So then are Zero Emission Auto's truly the Green Dream for everyone?

 

Lucky for me, the LA Times finally did a research piece on just this thing and after looking at the history or power use and places that electric cars have been used came to the same conclusion I did that depending on how the electricity is generated, electric auto's can be cleaner or dirtier than gas, cng or hybrid auto's.

 

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-1117-graff-electric-cars-policy-20141114-story.html

 

1) The story says by 2019 or half a decade, electric auto's will outsell the Toyota Camry.

2) The story says sales will only grow as long as the $7500 fed subsidy is in place for now.

3) Green all depends on where the electricity comes from.

4) EPA has doubled the fuel MPG by 2025.

5) EPA is developing a clean power plan for electricity production.

6) 100 years ago, electric auto's were the dominate product which was replaced by gas and now it coming full circle to be a dominate player.

7) This is a major push all due to Climate Change.

 

Sound off, do you agree with what is stated here? Yes or No

Where do you see electric auto's fitting in?

Is there a valid reason to go CNG or Hybrid over electric?

Is range anxiety a valid reason or just an excuse?

What are your thoughts on a logical progression for the auto industry for powertrains?

I can (and have) select green energy for my home through the energy choice program. It is no more expensive than brown energy and sometimes actually cheaper. Someone buying a Tesla in Pittsburgh will likely make the same choice I did.

I can (and have) select green energy for my home through the energy choice program. It is no more expensive than brown energy and sometimes actually cheaper. Someone buying a Tesla in Pittsburgh will likely make the same choice I did.

Most likely. But this does point to the issue of where emissions originate from - a tail pipe or a powerplant chimney - and if the overall effect in the environment is greater, equal or smaller from the spread of EVs. It's an interesting debate...

 

I can (and have) select green energy for my home through the energy choice program. It is no more expensive than brown energy and sometimes actually cheaper. Someone buying a Tesla in Pittsburgh will likely make the same choice I did.

Most likely. But this does point to the issue of where emissions originate from - a tail pipe or a powerplant chimney - and if the overall effect in the environment is greater, equal or smaller from the spread of EVs. It's an interesting debate...

 

 

It is easier to make a power plant cleaner, even a coal one, than it is to make all cars zero tailpipe emissions. Also, because of the way the grid works, you may be getting green power at times even if you aren't subscribed to green programs.   Even if your house is 100% coal powered, electric vehicles go further with fewer carbon emissions than pure petroleum powered vehicles do, simply by virtue of regenerative braking. 

 

Also with Teslas, I believe all charging done at a supercharger station is 100% renewable energy as they put up solar panels for them.