A study has found that cars with very high gas mileage are less polluting than electric vehicles charged up in coal-heavy regions.
The Union of Concerned Scientists released a report today called “State of Charge” that finds that on average plug-in cars are less polluting than gasoline-powered vehicles in the U.S. But the greenhouse gases emitted from electric vehicles depends on the sources of electricity.
The study centers on a heated discussion in auto circles. Automakers have sometimes referred to electric vehicles as “zero emissions,” which is misleading because most plug-in drivers charge their cars from electricity generated by burning coal or natural gas.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit, sought to clarify matters by doing a lifecycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions that includes energy inputs from start to finish, not only during drive time.
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