<p>How do hybrid cars reduce carbon emissions (wouldn't they just transfer fuel emissions to electricity consumption?)</p>

<p>Doing an accounting project on upgrading fuel supplied  cars to hybrids and we're spending a lot of money to set up charging stations. But i got to thinking wouldn't the fuel save just transfer into energy consumed?</p>

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2014-10-27T08:53:23.133Z
I'm not sure whether this is on-topic here or not. It's been covered elsewhere on the network, on [Sustainability.SE](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com/q/1061/48) and [here](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com/q/612/48) , on [skeptics.se](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/15008/6236), and a bit on [physics.se](http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/66851/4066)
410 gone
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2014-10-27T10:39:58.407Z
(I agree it's at least boundary off-topic here.) 1st: You recuperate energy from breaking and downhills. 2nd: You don't spend fuel in traffic jams (this is the most important thing IMHO). 3rd: You can use atoms, Sahara sun one day maybe etc., whatever energy source to have electricity, but only oil to have combustion.
yo'
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2014-10-27T11:37:09.310Z
@tohecz and everyone - please join in [the related meta discussion](http://meta.earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/334/100)
410 gone
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2014-10-27T18:44:14.400Z
@Ivan the main difference is that the new electrical energy consumed has less cost (and less emissions) because it comes from a power plant and not your car+gasoline.  I've seen estimates that powering cars entirely from electricity would result in about 80% less carbon emissions due to vehicles.  Though, that is for commuter vehicles only as far as I know.  The key to this is that burning gasoline in a car only captures about 8% of the chemical energy in the fuel, which is very inefficient.
f.thorpe
<environmental-protection>
How do hybrid cars reduce carbon emissions (wouldn't they just transfer fuel emissions to electricity consumption?)
Ivan
# How do hybrid cars reduce carbon emissions (wouldn't they just transfer fuel emissions to electricity consumption?)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-27)

How do hybrid cars reduce carbon emissions (wouldn't they just transfer fuel emissions to electricity consumption?)

Doing an accounting project on upgrading fuel supplied cars to hybrids and we're spending a lot of money to set up charging stations. But i got to thinking wouldn't the fuel save just transfer into energy consumed?

**Tags:** environmental-protection

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I'm not sure whether this is on-topic here or not. It's been covered elsewhere on the network, on [Sustainability.SE](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com/q/1061/48) and [here](http://sustainability.stackexchange.com/q/612/48) , on [skeptics.se](http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/q/15008/6236), and a bit on [physics.se](http://physics.stackexchange.com/q/66851/4066)  
> **username_2**: (I agree it's at least boundary off-topic here.) 1st: You recuperate energy from breaking and downhills. 2nd: You don't spend fuel in traffic jams (this is the most important thing IMHO). 3rd: You can use atoms, Sahara sun one day maybe etc., whatever energy source to have electricity, but only oil to have combustion.  
> **username_1**: @tohecz and everyone - please join in [the related meta discussion](http://meta.earthscience.stackexchange.com/q/334/100)  
> **username_3**: @username_0 the main difference is that the new electrical energy consumed has less cost (and less emissions) because it comes from a power plant and not your car+gasoline.  I've seen estimates that powering cars entirely from electricity would result in about 80% less carbon emissions due to vehicles.  Though, that is for commuter vehicles only as far as I know.  The key to this is that burning gasoline in a car only captures about 8% of the chemical energy in the fuel, which is very inefficient.  

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## 0 answers

