What is better for the planet, electric cars or gasoline cars? If we ask ourselves this question, the answer may seem quite obvious: electric cars do not emit greenhouse gases while driving and are therefore better for the environment. However, electric vehicles are not perfect (as is the case with almost everything) and they also have pollution problems. Specifically, its batteries contain components, such as lithium, that require a large amount of energy to extract it.
A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzed the emissions that an electric vehicle generates, taking into account everything from the extraction of the metals necessary for batteries to producing the electricity necessary to power them. Then they compared the results with the average emissions of a gasoline vehicle. The team of researchers concluded that when electric vehicles are charged with coal-fired electricity, they are even more damaging to the environment than traditional gasoline-powered cars.
However, there are very few places where electricity grids are still fully or partially supplied with coal.
Various theories
On the other hand, a study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, Colin Sheppard, a researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (California, United States) concluded that, in the long term, electric vehicles were better for the environment. To carry out this research, the scientists looked at what the energy, structure and emissions implications might be if all the world’s cars were electric.
In this way, they were able to calculate that if all the cars in the United States were electric, greenhouse gases would be reduced by 46% a year in the country. This reduction could also be increased if they were charged in a controlled way, that is, taking advantage of the hours when electricity is cheaper. For example, electricity at night is often cheaper than during the day. Therefore, if all private cars were loaded in this way, the savings in emissions could amount to 49% per year, as the research concludes.
In short, electric cars can be better for the environment depending on each country and, above all, where the electricity comes from to charge the batteries of the vehicles. Thus, it is essential that countries invest in renewable energy to avoid carbon emissions and slow down climate change.
