Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Industry & Market News

Switching to electric cars could speed climate change

IT'S A myth that all our oil dependency and climate change woes would disappear with electric cars. The Environmental Transport Association's Andrew Davis tells us why.

Opinion
4 min read
Share
168_ElectricCars246x155
ADVERTISEMENT

IT’S A myth that all our oil dependency and climate change woes would disappear with electric cars. The Environmental Transport Association’s Andrew Davis tells us why.

 

THE idea that a wholesale switch to electric cars would automatically reduce CO2 emissions and dependence on oil is one of a number of myths that’s dispelled in a new report that has been conducted for us at the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

The report found that while there were significant potential environmental benefits to be had from a switch to electric vehicles, these were wholly dependent on changes in the way electricity was generated, energy taxed and CO2 emissions regulated – including, for example, the current EU emissions trading system, which could result in higher overall CO2 emissions and oil consumption from the sale of electric cars.

While I don’t want the report to dampen enthusiasm for electric vehicles, I’m just keen to outline that their introduction should not be viewed as a panacea; significant changes to the way we produce and tax power are needed before we will reap any benefits.

These are the key findings of the report.

Performance

Electric cars powered by wind or solar energy are obviously superior, but if the electricity comes from coal, hybrids perform better.

ADVERTISEMENT

Price

There is potential for improvement in performance and reduction of costs in the medium term, but not enough to suggest electric cars could compete head-on with conventional vehicles within the next two decades.

CO2 emissions

ADVERTISEMENT

The EU emissions trading system implies that plug-in electric cars would not increase CO2 emissions because the power sector is covered by the scheme. If this trading scheme remains unchanged, sales of electric cars are likely to result in higher overall CO2 emissions and oil consumption.

Popularity

Low running costs of electric vehicles would lead to extra demand for car transport and make necessary the taxation of electricity.On-board metering of electricity use would be a key requirement.

National Grid

Even if the National Grid has the capacity and the basic infrastructure to meet the needs of electric cars, the new demand patterns they will create may mean greater use of coal and nuclear power.

In order to speed the uptake of the technology and manage the transition, the report recommends the following three measures:

Stringent CO2 standards for cars

The most certain way to promote electric-powered transport is to tighten long-term CO2 standards for cars to 80g/km by 2020 and 60g/km by 2025 while at the same time increasing fuel taxes. A lack of stringent CO2 standards removes the main incentive for motor industry to invest in electrification. Road tax exemption and grants for electric cars should be abolished; electric cars must be rewarded for their energy efficiency, not for moving emissions from exhaust pipes to power station chimneys.

Measure electricity used in electric cars

On-board metering of the amount of electricity will be critical in order to manage and regulate demand for electric vehicles.

The power sector has to be de-carbonised

Existing loopholes in the Emissions Trading Scheme need to be closed and the cap further tightened.

Further information

The report, ‘How to avoid an electric shock: Electric cars from hype to reality’ was conducted by the European lobby group Transport & Environment, an organisation co-founded and supported by the ETA.

The Environmental Transport Association provides carbon-neutral breakdown cover and insurance products. As well as encouraging responsible driving to reduce carbon, the ETA campaigns for sustainable transport. To find out more go to www.eta.co.uk.

More comment

There’s further commentary on this Special Report in the Editor’s Blog: Climate change and the switch to electric cars

 

Related

ADVERTISEMENT