Zero Emissions Electric Cars?

Question

I've heard of electric vehicles being referred to as "Zero Emission" because there is no pollution given off from them. But if the vehicle is recharged with electricity generated from a coal-fired power plant, isn't that pollution?

Answer 1

Yes it is and the hydrogen car will still give off Nitrogen oxide.
Need to change your mind on CO2 emissions as we have a friend the green plants that want CO2 as much as we want oxygen. What the environmentalist call pollution is just what the plants need.

Answer 2

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An electric vehicle is not a 100% solution to pollution, but it comes closer than any of the other alternatives. Below are some facts most people don't know about EVs.
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First of all, the EV is the ultimate flex-fuel vehicle - any fuel can be turned into electricity!
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Secondly, the electric vehicle is the most efficient way to use any fuel source - because electric motors are about 95% efficient. Contrast this with an internal combustion engine, which is only 25% efficient. Fuel cells are only 25% -50% efficient.
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Greater efficiency means that an EV can travel further on the same amount of fuel. This means that, no matter what kind of fuel is burned at the powerplant, less pollution per mile will be made by an EV than by any other type of car.
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Plus, not all powerplants use dirty fuel! Less than 3% of electricity is made from oil, for instance. About 50% is made from coal, which is very dirty. But modern powerplants can burn coal at up to 85% efficiency, so the maximum power can be derived from the smallest possible amount of fuel.
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Electric cars are also the only type of vehicle that fuels by wire (the electric grid is also very efficient, better than 95%.) Other cars must have fuel delivered by inefficient and polluting trucks to thousands of gas stations.
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Also, gasoline requires large amounts of electricity to refine. Fuel cells need even more electricity to make hydrogen. Why bother making the fuel? Why not just use that SAME electricity to power an electric car?
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Did you know you could be driving an electric car for as little as $5000 that looks, handles, and accelerates like a normal car - and saves the average driver $100 or more per month in gasoline costs? Details here:
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car/
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Answer 3

While a electric car does require power that (probably) isn't generated in a completely pollution-free manner, it's still better to use it than a gasoline engine. Electricity is going to be generated no matter what, and electric power plants are held to strict regulations as to their emissions. Also, more and more electricity is being generated by solar, wind, water, and nuclear power, whose emissions are far less harmful or non-existence compared to those of coal-or oil-fired plants (I know that some don't feel nuclear plants are safe, but personally, I'd much prefer to live near one than near most concerns that are powered by fossil fuels). All in all, an electric car IS better for the environment when all the factors are taken into account.

Answer 4

Zero emissions? - Nearly. Using an electric motor will give off small amounts of Ozone which is a real problem pollutant at ground level especially if it mixes with exhaust gases from other vehicles which causes smog! This Ozone does not get into the higher atmosphere where it might do some good.

Zero pollution - not a chance!

Energy is used to produce the car and to provide the electricity and most of the worlds energy comes from oil or gas power stations. Driving a car leads to pollution from rubber wear of the tyres and dust from brakes etc. The manufacture involves the use of heavy metals and chemicals, some of which such as those used in batteries pose a significant disposal problem.

Answer 5

The zero emission is referring to the amount of pollutants given off by the car. Recharging the batteries on the car would require electricity. Of course, you could also be using a hydrogen powered (fuel cell) car, where hydrogen + oxygen forms water – also zero emissions. For electric cars, in theory, you could generate the electricity via wind/solar/wave…although most electricity is generated at coal and nuclear plants. The idea (and fact) is that it is *much* easier to control pollution at those sources, than at the tail pipes of millions of cars.

Other cleaner (Partial ZEV) technologies are being researched and are in use, too…from hybrids to natural gas to methanol fuel cells.

Answer 6

If you charged the car via home solar cells, wind mill, water mill, hyrdogen fuel cell (only emits water vapor) then yes the car would be end-to-end emission free. But this isn't a likely scenario as most of the US and other countries are powered by coal and nuclear.

Answer 7

Not from your standpoint of the question technocally you are very true but the car itself gives off totally zero pollutants wich is the fair and true statement from the car standpoint

Answer 8

The "extensive quantities of pollution" are nonetheless much less for an electric automobile whilst in comparison with a common inner combustion pushed automobile. this is especially by way of fact a extensive ability plant can generate ability extra effectively than a comparably tiny engine. to no longer point out that purely approximately 0.5 of our electricity is generated via coal--any electric automobile this is powered via nuclear, hydro, wind, and so on. would be completely carbon impartial. this is yet one element which you're lacking. to boot to their ordinary extra helpful carbon performance, you're able to do no longer forget that the pollution from known automobiles is generated suited in the midst of the cities, the place people stay and breathe. Nasty stuff like NOx, CO, particulate remember, and VOC's are all emitted at street point via your ordinary tailpipe. using electric automobiles, from which the pollution are generated in centralized flora that is placed far faraway from cities, is a extensive public wellbeing benefit in this appreciate. to no longer point out the classy income of clearer city air. apart from, electric automobiles have the extensive further income of helping us get off of remote places oil, and all of the nasty drama that this dependence consists of with it. ability independence has many financial and secure practices reward, and it would needless to say be impossible to realize ability independence as long as we count number so heavily on oil. the USA (or Canada, or uk, or probable everywhere else which you will possibly take place to stay) in simple terms would not produce adequate oil, nor ought to they ever whether the relax untapped fractions of their reserves get totally utilized. no person is asserting that electric automobiles are suited or maybe that they are going to continuously be nicely suited. gas cells or biodiesel could be extra helpful in the long-term, however the former demands huge and exceptionally costly infrastructure transformations jointly as the latter continues to be unproven on great scales (and in many cases biofuels finally end up being dirtier than gas). electric automobiles have their drawbacks as nicely. With any obtainable answer you're able to save the drawbacks in suggestions, yet you're able to no longer lose sight of the advantages the two.