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Electric cars 'pose environmental threat'

2012-10-05 15:43:20

Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars,

according to new research.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas

emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.

Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car

factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Energy said.

However, in some cases electric cars still made sense, the researchers said.

Big impact

The team looked at the life-cycle impact of conventional and electric vehicles.

In essence, they considered how the production, the use and the end-of-life

dismantling of a car affects the environment, explained co-author Prof Anders

Hammer Stromman.

"The production phase of electric vehicles proved substantially more

environmentally intensive," the report said, comparing it to how petrol and

diesel cars are made.

"The global warming potential from electric vehicle production is about twice

that of conventional vehicles."

In addition, producing batteries and electric motors requires a lot of toxic

minerals such as nickel, copper and aluminium.

Hence, the acidification impact is much greater than that of conventional car

production.

"Across the other impacts considered in the analysis including potential for

effects related to acid rain, airborne particulate matter, smog, human

toxicity, ecosystem toxicity and depletion of fossil fuel and mineral

resources, electric vehicles consistently perform worse or on par with modern

internal combustion engine vehicles, despite virtually zero direct emissions

during operation," according to Prof Stromman.

'Counterproductive' efforts

Continue reading the main story

Start Quote

A battery electric vehicle, with electricity produced by the power generation

mix we currently have in Europe, compares favourably in the magnitude of 10% or

so with diesel

Dieter Zetsche Chief executive, Daimler

With electric car production being so damaging to the environment, these cars

have already polluted a great deal by the time they hit the road, the report

says.

However, if the cars were then powered by electricity made from low-carbon

electricity sources, they could nevertheless offer "the potential for

substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and exposure to tailpipe

emissions" over time.

However, in regions where fossil fuels are the main sources of power, electric

cars offer no benefits and may even cause more harm, the report said.

"It is counterproductive to promote electric vehicles in regions where

electricity is primarily produced from lignite, coal or even heavy oil

combustion."

European benefits

In Europe, where electricity is produced in a number of different ways,

electric cars do offer environmental benefits when compared with cars with

internal combustion engines, according to the study.

"Electric vehicles powered by the present European electricity mix offer a 10%

to 24% decrease in their global warming potential relative to conventional

diesel or petrol vehicles."

This is in line with calculations made by some carmakers.

Drax Cars powered by electricity produced in coal power stations pollute more

than petrol or diesel cars

"According to our results, a battery electric vehicle, with electricity

produced by the power generation mix we currently have in Europe, compares

favourably in the magnitude of 10% or so with diesel," Daimler's chief

executive Dieter Zetsche told the BBC.

Longer lives

The report pointed out that the longer an electric car in Europe stays mobile,

the greater its "lead" over petrol and diesel engines.

"Assuming a vehicle lifetime of 200,000km exaggerates the global warming

benefits of electric vehicles to 27-29% relative to petrol and 17-20% relative

to diesel," it said.

"An assumption of 100,000km decreases the benefit of electric vehicles to 9-14%

with respect to petrol vehicles and results in impacts indistinguishable from

those of a diesel vehicle."

An electric car's longevity depends a great deal on how long its battery lasts,

not least since it is very expensive to replace them.

Batteries are gradually getting better, which could result in electric cars

being used for longer.

However, as petrol and diesel engines are also improving, the relationships

between the different types of vehicles are not constant.

"A more significant reduction in global warming could potentially be achieved

by increasing fuel efficiency or shifting from petrol to diesel," the report

said.

"If you are considering purchasing an electric vehicle for its environmental

benefits, first check your electricity source and second look closely at the

warranty on the batteries," said Professor Stromman.

Those in power, meanwhile, should recognise "the many potential advantages of

electric vehicles [which] should serve as a motivation for cleaning up regional

electricity mixes".