EVs 50% Cleaner Than Diesel – Belgian Study

Electric cars emit 50% less greenhouse gas than diesel, study finds

Arthur Neslen, 25 October 2017 (UK Guardian)

“Electric cars emit significantly less greenhouse gases over their lifetimes than diesel engines even when they are powered by the most carbon intensive energy…In Poland, which uses high volumes of coal, electric vehicles produced a quarter less emissions than diesels when put through a full lifecycle modelling study by Belgium’s VUB University. CO2 reductions on Europe’s cleanest grid in Sweden were a remarkable 85%, falling to around one half for countries such as the UK…[The average will be 50% less lifecycle CO2 emissions, including the manufacturing process, from EVs than from diesel cars] by 2030…The new study uses an EU estimate of Poland’s emissions – at 650gCO2/kWh – which is significantly lower than [2016] calculations by the European commission’s Joint Research Centre science wing…Today, just 1.7% of new vehicles sold in Europe are electric, and some EU officials question whether Europe has access to enough lithium to create a 5-10% market share for electric cars anytime soon. Its capacity to scale up construction of battery plants may also be in doubt…The VUB study says that while the supply of critical metals – lithium, cobalt, nickel and graphite – and rare earths would have to be closely monitored and diversified, it should not constrain the clean transport transition…” click here for more

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