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The GMC Hummer EV is a huge, heavy vehicle, weighing in at over 9,000 pounds with a whopping 212.7 kWh battery weighing in at 2,923 pounds. And even though electric vehicles have zero tailpipe emissions, generating enough electricity to charge electric vehicles still emits a lot of pollution. So are electric vehicles saving the environment?
According to a recent American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEE) study, a big, heavy EV like the Hummer EV isn’t that great, especially when it comes to charging those massive battery cells.
The study concludes by saying that the Hummer EV actually emits 341 grams of CO2 per mile, which is worse than a Chevy Malibu, which emits around 320 grams per mile traveled. Why? Because about 60 percent of the electricity in the US is generated by burning fossil fuels.
So charging and driving a large vehicle like the Hummer EV is worse for the environment than a typical gas-powered car. And while that’s true, comparing a small passenger car to a huge truck is ridiculous. That’s like comparing a Prius to the RAM 1500 TRX. It is not a fair comparison.
Also, this doesn’t take into account that many EV owners will use solar panels to charge the vehicle, especially when they spend $130,000 on the Hummer EV and can afford solar. It also doesn’t mention that emissions vary by state.
For example, Vermont is a very clean state; About 57 percent of its electricity comes from hydropower, 17 percent from wind, and a trace amount from natural gas. On the other hand, Delaware is one of the worst and nearly 94 percent of its electricity comes from fossil fuels.
keep that in mind ACEEE the numbers do not take into account all the work it takes to mine and refine rare earth materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum for lithium ion battery cells. This is precisely why there are as many detractors of electric vehicles as there are supporters.
However, the study is right about one thing. Until the energy grid is carbon free or closed, we will always burn fossil fuels and produce pollution by charging electric vehicles. This is known as “upstream emissions”, a problem that is not going away any time soon. At least in the United States.
However, there is a positive side. While electric vehicles still require tons of fossil fuels, at least right now, things are headed in a better direction. A customer looking for a car is very different from someone buying a truck, and electric trucks are much better than their gas-powered counterparts.
For example, the original Hummer H1 produces around 889 grams of CO2 per mile and the new Hummer EV only produces 341 grams. That is a significant improvement. In addition, the Hummer EV emits 103 grams less CO2 per mile than the average gasoline-powered Ford F-150, which is America’s best-selling truck.
There are many holes on both sides of the argument and many things missing when it comes to vehicle manufacturing or battery material mining. All that said, when it comes to the driving efficiency of electric vehicles, electric trucks are better than ICE trucks when it comes to emissions and pollution.
via InsideEVs
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