Among the advantages of an electric car, we know that it pollutes much less than a vehicle with a combustion engine (diesel or petrol). Once on the road, its carbon footprint is much more favorable. But is this the ideal solution for massively reducing the consumption of fossil fuels? Not so sure…
Unlike thermal vehicles, the first of the advantages of an electric car is to emit little CO2 per kilometre. According to studies, electric vehicles emit around 110 g CO2/km, which is a substantial reduction compared to their diesel or petrol equivalents. By comparison, a powerful or heavy petrol car emits more than 250 g CO2/km, and a compact vehicle 130 to 180 g CO2/km.
What are the advantages of an electric car?
If the carbon footprint of an electric vehicle seems favorable a priori, the problem lies rather upstream, before its release. It is at the level of the production, the management of the batteries and the manufacturing process of the electrical energy that this fishes.
Indeed, the production of an electric car (battery and motor included) requires more energy and emits twice as much greenhouse gas as that of a thermal vehicle.
Batteries for electric cars have a very high ecological footprint because they require the use of fossil fuels and metals such as lithium.
Thus, the emission associated with the production of a battery would represent on average 5 tons of CO2 equivalent, which corresponds to the emissions of 1,600 liters of diesel or 1,900 liters of gasoline. In addition, battery manufacturing plants such as China’s CATL, the world market leader, are in the NGO focus.
Another point to consider is the electricity generation, which will influence the carbon footprint of vehicles. In countries that still produce a lot of carbon electricity, driving electric is anything but ecological.
A study by the ICCT showed, in July 2021, that even in India where electricity is largely of fossil origin, the carbon footprint over the entire life cycle of electric vehicles remains 19 to 34% lower to that of a thermal car. We are reassured!
Small drawbacks to consider
In use, the balance sheet of the electric car is therefore much more palatable than gasoline or diesel vehicles. But beware, the economy is not instantaneous, it takes years.
According to studies, the carbon balance between the two types of engines only balances out after 30,000 to 40,000 km travelled. As the French drive an average of 1000 km per month, do the math. The electric vehicle only becomes more virtuousafter 3 to 4 years of use.
It is therefore a question of keeping your electric vehicle as long as possible, knowing that the average lifespan of an electric battery is estimated at ten years and that of a conventional (thermal) vehicle is 11 to 12 years ( i.e. 150,000 km).
This last point is still controversial. Some reports have pointed out that most electric vehicles have a shorter lifespan to that of combustion engine vehicles. Another pitfall, some observers note that it probably need to change the batteries vehicles after a few years so that they remain efficient. What considerably degrade the carbon footprint of the car.
Finally, it will also be necessary recycle used batteriesin which we find toxic, rare and precious metals, but also acids.
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If the solution is not electric…
Asked about the interest of the electric car, Jean-Marc Jancovici, specialist in energy and energy transition, prefers to formulate the question differently: ” What if we weren’t asked to choose between the electric car and the oil-powered car, but rather asked ourselves how to save oil by continuing to travel by car?”
According to the engineer, the best alternative to the thermal car is… the small thermal car. To guarantee motorized mobility to people who live on the outskirts of large cities (the bulk of the French population), the best option would be to continue to have gasoline-powered cars. But by drastically reducing fuel consumption.
It would therefore be necessary to produce 500 kg vehicles with a top speed of 90 km/h and a consumption of 1.5 litres/100 km. A kind of 2 CV Citroën optimized in a way.
In his interventions, the same Jancovici also recommendssharply increase the price of fuel to avoid the creation of a rebound effect, when people suddenly decide to drive more because the engines consume less.
According to the engineer, such a solution would save oil much faster than to develop the electric car and the infrastructures necessary for its adoption.