US researchers have found that the decrease in direct CO2 emissions as a result of switching to electric vehicles offsets any emissions that occur during battery and electricity production, making them an overall better alternative to gasoline-fueled cars, according to a report published by the journal Nature
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2021) US researchers have found that the decrease in direct CO2 emissions as a result of switching to electric vehicles offsets any emissions that occur during battery and electricity production, making them an overall better alternative to gasoline-fueled cars, according to a report published by the journal Nature.
"Given continued decarbonization of the electricity supply, results show that a large-scale adoption of electric vehicles is able to reduce CO2 emissions through more channels than previously expected," the study said.
Global transport is responsible for a major part of CO2 emissions, chiefly driven by gasoline-powered light duty vehicles, according to the study. In order to curb the negative impact of the industry, countries have begun a transition to alternative fuel vehicles that have lower tailpipe emissions.
However, the global drive for electric vehicles has raised concerns of increased indirect emissions at the stages of battery and electricity production. The research proposed a model to assess both direct changes and the impact on important upstream sectors, such as material production, vehicle manufacturing and electricity generation.
The calculations showed that the transition from gasoline-powered to electric vehicles could lead to substantially lower cumulative life-cycle emissions through 2050, largely driven by lower fuel combustion and decreased production of gasoline and hydrogen. While stronger sales of electric battery vehicles will also lead to higher electricity emissions, these are relatively small compared to lower emissions from fuel production, the study found.
Increased emissions at the material production stage for electric cars, in turn, can be offset by recycling and reuse practices, the research said.
The analysis was conducted using data from the US light vehicle fleet.
