Do EVs And PHEVs Result In Less Pollution?
It depends, as outlined by ELPC Executive Director in this Huffington Post Article. In EVs and PHEVs, tailpipe pollution is reduced in proportion to the amount of time the vehicle is powered by the electric battery. However, the electricity used to charge vehicle batteries has its own pollution profile. Electricity generated by coal plants is much more polluting than electricity generated by no/low-carbon energy sources like wind power or nuclear power. Multiple studies have shown that EVs and PHEVs reduce total pollution compared with conventional gasoline or diesel-fueled vehicles, even when batteries are charged with electricity from coal plants. The electricity generation mix is more important when you compare EVs and PHEVs with HEVs. When coal plants supply more than 50% of the power mix, the equation is not favorable for PHEVs compared to HEVs when it comes to the CO2 pollution (global warming) and SO2 (acid rain-causing) pollution. For other pollutants, the data varies. See stud
