Electric Vehicles & the Neighborhood Climate Debate
Neighbors across the country are engaging in an electric vehicle (EV) topic that is so fiercely debated, the next decade of selling and purchasing privately owned battery-powered cars may be massively influenced by this local dialogue. To fuel the EV fire, there are new laws going into effect to require homeowners and apartment buildings to update electrical panels to include EV-ready outlets (and these aren’t cheap or desired in some places). The divisive neighborhood discussion comes down to this: are EVs really better for the environment, or are we exacerbating the carbon footprint problem by manufacturing another type of vehicle?
To start, look no further than the Argonne National Laboratory’s model for lifetime emissions of vehicles, or GREET model (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies). This model includes thousands of parameters — from the type of metals in an EV battery to the amount of aluminum or plastic in a car. The creators of this model assert that while the initial production of EVs generates more carbon than their combustion counterparts, a “break-even” point can be estimated for the vehicles (and used to help advise on future EPA standards). The quicker the “break-even” point, the better an EV is for the environment on a small and big scale. Reuters recently ran an analysis of the data and published their findings in an article found here.
This “break-even” point can vary widely depending on factors like where (geographically speaking) the electric vehicle is charged. If electricity that’s used to charge an EV comes from a coal-fired grid, the problem of greenhouse gas emissions isn’t completely removed. So, if your outspoken neighbor is arguing this point in the Great EV Debate… they aren’t completely wrong. However, if a grid is powered by hydroelectricity or other renewable sources (which is better in some places than others), then the emissions from coal combustion is alleviated and the “break-even” point for EVs and combustion engines can be less than 1 year. You can explore the various electricity sources and emissions by state by using the US Department of Energy’s tool here. Boil it down to your neighborhood, the EV debate, and air quality… and localizing pollution at the coal burning plants rather than emitting greenhouse gases throughout streets is probably a good thing to mention to the outspoken Great Debating neighbor.
There are many scholarly articles, reviews and studies on this sizzling topic and as history shows, it’s hard to truly get on the right side of the equation in any given moment, environmentally speaking. While you probably can’t control where your power comes from, or cap-and-trade policies, or whether your home renovation will require another service panel installed… there are certainly things you can influence above and beyond defending your stance in the Great EV Debate.
You can influence your own tailpipe emissions. You can plan almost all of your car trips ahead of time, you can use ride sharing, you can diversify your mobility options by buying or renting a bike or e-scooter. You can avoid idling. And if the debate about EV’s can spark one thing, hopefully it’s that “doing your part” to help the reducing greenhouse gas emissions in your neighborhood will include choosing the alternative (less gas-emitting) mode of transportation in the name of the Greater Good… Even if the given moment says otherwise.
This article can be read on MotivMobility.com.
