Search
Close this search box.
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter

339 – Climate change and the switch to electric cars

168_ElectricCars246x155
ETA says an EU loophole fails to account for the way the electricity for electric cars is created. So, despite being zero emission rated, the electricity used could be 'dirty'

Share

12 November 2009

Electric car being recharged
ETA says an EU loophole fails to account for the way the electricity for electric cars is created. So, despite being zero emission rated, the electricity used could be ‘dirty’

YANNICK Read from ETA adds this additional comment to the Special Report on electric cars – and the potential to increase CO2 levels.

Our report found that binding EU targets for car CO2 emissions, which were agreed last December, include ‘super credits’ that enable car makers to sell up to 3.5-litre gas-guzzling SUVs for every electric vehicle they sell – and still reach their official EU target. 

Electric cars are also counted as ‘zero emissions’ despite the fact that the electricity they use can come from high-carbon fossil fuels such as coal.

The combined effect of these loopholes would be thus: those car makers which choose to market electric cars to meet EU targets would have to do less to reduce emissions of conventional cars; the overall effect would be higher CO2 emissions and oil use.

You can read the original report here: Switching to electric cars could speed climate change.

 

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit
Email

Want more motoring news?

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

Latest news

Top