Are electric cars actually better for the environment?

The short answer is yes for urban areas. The longer answer – for the planet – no, not currently. Here’s why:

1. Oil fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of oil. These are called thermal utility-scale oil-fired plants. They extract energy from the oil. The percentage of energy they extract run only 30% - 40% of the energy the fuel is capable of, so-called “contains.”

2. Gas fired powerplants generate electricity by burning gaseous forms of fossil fuels – mostly “natural gas” piped up from the ground reserves. These are called Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) systems. They extract energy from the gas using gas turbines. The percentage of energy they extract run only 33% - 60% of the energy the fuel is capable of -- depending on whether the newer plants have Heat Recovery Steam Generators added where they approach 60% efficiency.

3. Coal fired powerplants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels in the form of hard coal. The percentage of energy they extract runs only 30% - 45% - the 45% plants are ultra modern plants of which there are very few.

4. The USA overall average electricity production by powerplants using fossil fuels is an approximate fuel efficiency rating of 42%.

5. Atomic power plants, solar farms, and wind generation are hugely expensive to install and legislate but operate at between 85% and 92% efficiency based on input running costs. That does not include environmental post use or recycling costs for spend radioactive fuel rods which have a half-life of tens of thousands of years.

Putting aside the discussion of transportation (oil, coal, gas moving from mine or well to a powerplant), infrastructure (drilling, mining, pipelines), and never least the financing of refineries and powerplants by Wall Street, the comparison of efficiency for automobiles using either electric or gas/diesel modes, all rely on the overall efficiency of the energy consumption needed per mile. And energy consumption must take into account the efficiency of the engines using the fuel.

Now, it has to be said that electric cars cause less pollution, while running, than diesel or gasoline cars. That is why they are better for urban environments, just as catalytic converters were essential to stop smog related illness in tight urban environments. However, not causing as much pollution in situ does not take into account their consumption of fossil fuels in the production of that electricity and that resultant pollution globally. At best, therefore, electric cars are operating at 42% fuel efficiency and must face fair comparison to the most modern car engines in order to secure the label of “friendly to the environment.”

Mercedes Benz has a test program, as do several other manufacturers and engineering firms. It is called Formula 1 racing. MB produced a car engine that is so efficient it has an output of 50% of the fuel’s potential energy. Coupled with regenerative braking (hit the brakes and you are engaging a generator instead of disc brake coupled with inboard batteries to produce a hybrid system for more efficiency), overall most Formula 1 racing cars average between 60% - 72% efficiency overall depending on track conditions.

When you compare that new fossil fuel engine efficiency of 60%+ to electric cars using current electricity generation averaging 42% efficiency for the same amount of fossil fuels, electric cars have not, yet, reached parity or added benefit for the environment.

Of course, generation of electricity is an investment nightmare but with huge rewards for the whole planet. Electricity is easier to transport to where it is needed than fossil fuels. If you can build a more efficient powerplant, like the nuclear fusion reactors under development that produce no waste, then indeed electric power for cars and all means of transportation is the wiser choice longer term.

But, for the moment, when you see your neighbor’s car burning gasoline or diesel, and you drive an electric car, understand the choices you are making for your local pollution are worthwhile, but overall you may actually be polluting more. The hope is that soon electricity may be generated more efficiently to make your electric car actually environmentally friendly.

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.