Examining the Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles
As is apparent from this article, we’re still not grasping the main issue associated with the eco-impact of EVs, which is “what energy source is used to address incremental but predictable loads on the grid when EV are charged?” If the answer is coal, EVs are most definitely not cleaner than cars propelled by gasoline or diesel.
The next thing we need to understand is that the answer to the question above will definitely not remain constant. Tonight in the U.S., for instance, the answer is almost always coal, but this is changing–at the precise same time that more EV are coming online–and this is the only legitimate reason to be excited about the positive environmental impact of EVs in America.
Electric mobility can be great for productivity. I have been using two 500 watt electric scooters and 2 small 750 watt electric 3 wheel goods carts (up to about 400 kg load) around my workplace and near area when I am in China, and to a lesser extent in Queensland for over 5 years now.
Total purchase price was about US 800.00 when new. I consider them affordable for me and perfectly adapted for their boutique roles. I don’t have an electric car.
I am very optimistic about electric vehicles on a larger scale and can visualise a great future for electric vehicles globally in boutique roles such as city taxi fleets and public transport buses for example. Beyond that in the foreseeable future also, there will be a small global cohort that will be able to afford an electric vehicle and find them very useful for their personal circumstances.
Putting a percentage estimate of electric vehicles globally in the foreseeable future may not be that difficult as some commentators believe though. My analysis tells me that we can expect strong growth over the next 3 – 5 years globally, then flattening out within 10 years to a total of about 0.05 percent of the world’s vehicle fleet (cars, buses, trucks).
That may not sound that much in percentage terms but the actual numbers of vehicles it represents is astronomical and well ahead of current global trend lines. Of course different locations globally will realise different percentages.
Lawrence Coomber