Are electric vehicles (EV) truly cleaner than combustion-engine cars?
Shaun · May 30, 2021 10:00 AM
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Cover art by Marian Kamensky
It goes without saying that electric vehicles (EV) do not produce emissions when driven. That, however, doesn’t mean they are completely penguin-friendly when you look at the bigger picture and consider how electricity is produced.
Which begs the question, are EVs really cleaner than conventional dinosaur-juice-powered cars?
Let’s not beat around the bush and start off with the answer, and it’s the most annoying answer you’ll get – it depends.
Mazda says in countries and regions where a high proportion of electricity is generated by thermal power (on fossil fuels), a considerable amount of CO2 is emitted during electricity production. In these countries and regions, electric vehicles cannot always reduce CO2 over the life cycle of vehicles.
However, for countries like Norway, most electricity is generated by hydroelectric power, and widespread use of electric vehicles will help curb CO2 emissions.
Malaysia belongs in the former category, in which electricity is primarily generated from fossil fuels. The US Energy Information Administratioan (EIA) states that Malaysia uses petroleum and other liquids as well as natural gas as its primary energy sources.
Percentage wise, petroleum and other liquids account for 37% while natural gas stands at 36%. The remaining shares are coal and renewables such as hydro, accounting for 21% and 6% respectively. So in total, 94% of energy consumed in Malaysia is generated from burning fossil fuels.
If you look at China, fossil fuels account for about 86% of the total primary energy consumption in 2019. This would appear favourably compared to Malaysia’s 94%, but coal supplies 58% of China’s total energy consumption.
Not all fossil fuels are the same
In terms of carbon cost and air pollution, natural gas emits about 50% less CO2 when combusted compared to coal as stated by EIA. Though there is the matter of methane emission when natural gas is extracted, but that’s diving way too deep into the subject.
The point is, not all fossil fuels translate to the same level of air pollution. There’s also eco-friendly coal, which is effectively cleansed coal for cleaner energy. This is an area where some studies regarding this topic hold an assumption to lump all coals as one.
If you’ve fallen to the rabbit hole of this discussion as this writer did, you would realize that this debate has been going on for a while and the internet would argue with whatever studies that supports its position.
There’s an article by the Scientific American which pointed out that in some areas, driving an electric car produces even more CO2 per mile than a hybrid. Citing that electricity is only as clean as its source.
Then there’s the study by the universities of Exeter, Nijmegen and Cambridge, concluding that driving an electric car is better for the climate than combustion-engine cars in 95% of the world under current conditions.
Pollution happens at manufacturing too
And we haven’t got into the impact of manufacturing of batteries and electric motors, as the mining of raw materials required can release harmful substances into the atmosphere.
Newer studies seem to suggest that the manufacturing emissions are smaller than what was previously assumed, and EVs are concluded to be more eco-friendly than combustion-engine cars.
ADAC conducted a study that states no powertrain, electric or otherwise, is best in terms of carbon footprint. EVs’ CO2 balance is determined by the high CO2 emissions during battery production and electricity supply.
Chart Regenerativ suggests renewable source of electricity, Strommix is a mixed source, with Germany as a benchmark.
A significant improvement in the CO2 balance of electric vehicles can only be seen when 100% renewable electricity is used over the course of its life cycle. Thus, the conclusion reflects what was mentioned earlier – it depends.
The rabbit hole goes deeper but this is the gist of it. As annoying as it is, there is no universal answer to this question.
Is one massive engine better than many little engines?
That being said, the debate seems to have transcended beyond these aspects and the verdict does tilt in favour of EVs - the argument is that EVs allow for more stable and controllable emissions.
Think about it, the emissions of combustion engine cars can be unpredictable. Some users idle excessively, some cars are modified or may be faulty due to poor maintenance, resulting in additional harmful exhaust emissions.
For EVs, it’s easier to regulate the emissions since the pollution happens during production stage. Generators strive to be energy efficient unlike high-performance cars with fuel guzzling engines. Countries can and are transitioning to less carbon-intensive power sources to minimize pollution.
The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
