Does Driving An Electric Car Really Help The Environment?

Question

Seeing as I have to plug an electric car into my house, and my house runs on energy from the local non-green powerplant, doesn't my car's need for electric actually cause an increase in demand on the powerplant's energy production- causing them to produce more power (and pollution)?

If we all switched to electric cars, wouldn't the burden of producing energy for them just switch from the individual owner to the local power plant- with an increase in pollution to follow?

Answer 1

The answer to this question lies in the relative efficiencies of gas versus electric cars - a more efficient vehicle, even using the same fuel, will go further on less energy - thereby making less pollution.
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Gas engines are notoriously inefficient. Running at peak efficency, a gas engine turns about 25% of gasoline's energy into torque. But not all that power gets to the road, because your engine spends time idling and braking. Also, the engine's efficiency drops when not operating at its peak horsepower rating. After all this, you are lucky to get 10% of the fuel's energy to the road.
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Also there are inefficiencies in the refining of gasoline (which takes large amounts of electricity!), the transportation of gasoline (by truck to your local gas station), and even some evaporation of the gasoline itself, directly into the atmosphere, over time.
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By contrast, an electric motor is over 90% efficient, and has an extremely wide powerband so nearly all of its energy gets to the road. The battery storage system in electric cars is about 88% efficient. And the power grid is 95% efficient in getting the energy from the powerplant to your car (much more efficient than sending fuel by truck.) Plus, fuel, including coal, burns much more efficiently in a big plant than it ever could in a little car.
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Plus, electric cars don't idle. No energy is used at stoplights. And electric cars recapture braking energy, too, using regenerative braking.
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So even when the powerplant burns dirty fuel, the amount of pollution is less than a gas car would create. And this picture is improving all the time, as clean energy sources are added to the grid.
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Electric cars also don't create used motor oil and coolant, both environmental hazards. EV batteries are a slight concern, but the EPA doesn't consider Li-Ion batteries an environmental hazard (this is the latest type of EV battery, which will be used in most future EVs.) All types of EV batteries are recyclable.
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But you don't have to be green to appreciate electric vehicles. A typical driver who spends between $150 - 200 on gasoline would only spend $10-20 in electricity for the same mileage. You'd better believe the oil companies are threatened by this. They know that gas prices will have to drop if EVs ever catch on.
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See, you don't even have to drive one. You'll benefit, too.
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Answer 2

All good points but let's look at the numbers.

ICE -internal combustion engine
EV-electric vehicle
HV-hybrid vehicle

Ok, in the final analysis we are talking about energy efficiency.
First of all I will say that oil has been a great way of storing energy (solar), and for most of the 20th century a "free" source of energy.

However the ICE has a very low efficiency, in the 20-25% range.
Going to an HV will increase that coupled with technologies such as cylinder idling and better transmissions. If you go to a plug in HV, it will get even better. And here is the answer to your question:

Electricity is produced at power plants with efficiency in the 85-90% area. If you use off the grid electricity, ESPECIALLY during the night, you will help power plants run more efficient since its a pain to slow large boilers down (any Chem E will back me up on this). The electric motor is much more efficient in the 80-90% area too.

Thus if you do .8*.8=.64. At worse you get a 64% efficiency vs 25% efficiency. Besides electricity can be obtained from wind/solar/nuclear sources too.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

You are right, that's why it would be much more environmentally friendly to use solar or nuclear power. I don't know the figures so I can't say if the extra burden on the power plants from electric cars would be more than strictly using fossil fuels. Good point.

Answer 5

Yes, a valid point and worth consideration.
One possible alternative is to use solar panels to charge the batteries in the car. The initial investment may be expensive though, although I believe the saving in gasoline would eventually make it worthwhile.

Answer 6

There are also solar energy, hydroelectric energy, and wind energy generators to hook up to. There is also the concept of a Fred Flintstone-mobile.

Answer 7

Yeah it does help the environment cause you're saving gas and preventing pollution thanks for stopping up and helping our future generations. As for the last questionim not sure

Answer 8

Yes, it really helps the environment .

And it reduces our dependence on oil.

Answer 9

no as there is alternative ways of producing power and these would start to be more heavily relied apon

Answer 10

GOOD QUESTION !

The fallacy is discussed here.