Skip to main content

Can EVs be clean on a dirty electric grid?

American Wind Energy Association/Facebook
Promotional image for Tech For Change. Person standing on solar panel looking at sunset.
This story is part of Tech for Change: an ongoing series in which we shine a spotlight on positive uses of technology, and showcase how they're helping to make the world a better place.

While the world moves towards electrifying as many cars as possible, it’s only a part of solving the climate equation. Those electric vehicles still need to get charged, and if that power is generated by the likes of coal and, to a lesser extent, methane, it undercuts the cuts in emissions we’re aiming for.

Some EV critics claim that a dirty electrical grid completely negates any good an electric vehicle can do. But is that true? Let’s take a closer look at how a dirty grid affects the emissions of an electric vehicle.

Recommended Videos

EVs have a marginally higher up-front carbon cost compared to combustion engines, but those emissions are made up for over the lifetime of the vehicle’s use. By using electricity rather than gas, vehicles produce significantly fewer emissions, even when taking into account the cost of production and recycling.

A chart comparing emissions of various vehicle types.
ICCT

The last report from the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) paints a picture where EVs powered on the existing and projected American electrical grid are still more than twice as emission-friendly gas and biofuel cars. EVs powered by the existing grid mix are also more efficient than hybrids. We can improve these emissions further by running everything on renewable energy, but even without that grid transition, switching to EVs represents progress.

The ICCT’s is just one of many lifecycle assessment studies that generally agree that EVs running on a dirty grid are still cleaner than combustion vehicles. One 2018 study compared Canadian jurisdictions, and Alberta, which produces 67% of its power by coal, enables EV drivers with 50% better lifetime emissions versus gas vehicles.

China has had a bit of a head start with EVs, but its electrical grid is primarily coal-powered. Even there, electric vehicles emit 29% less than internal combustion cars.

ChargePoint Home EV charger plugged into car.
ChargePoint

One challenge with these calculations is factoring in what kind of power is used during vehicle production. One study in India found that its largely coal-based power grid contributed to higher emissions both during vehicle operation as well as production. These factors are estimated to make combustion cars the more eco-friendly option in that market for the time being. India has long-term plans to embrace renewable power, and EV lifecycle assessments like these hammer home the necessity of that transition.

A lack of EV battery recycling capacity still needs to be solved for, too. Without it, materials are improperly processed, increasing human and environmental exposure to a wide range of harmful metals.

Of the recyclers that exist, many do try to use renewable energy in their operations. Redwood Materials, a recycler founded by ex-Tesla CTO JB Straubel, actually uses residual power within batteries to support their recycling process.

Recycling methods vary vastly in their energy usage. Pyrometallurgy has been the traditional means of getting metals out of scrap, but it yields less than other methods and uses a fair bit of power to heat everything up. Electrometallurgy produces more material at the end of processing but uses even more power. Hydrometallurgy is much more energy efficient than both other methods, and recovers more materials, but is more expensive to run.

That said, lifecycle assessments attribute relatively few emissions to EV recycling compared to production and operation, especially since recovered materials can prevent emissions caused by the mining of virgin materials.

The environmental friendliness of electric vehicles isn’t measured in a vacuum. The grid plays a big role in determining the final footprint of an EV, but even when one is running on some of the world’s dirtiest power, it can still come ahead of gasoline cars.

Simon Sage
Simon Sage is a green tech contributor at Digital Trends. He looks at all sorts of devices that can help reduce emissions…
Should you buy a used EV? Maybe, but it’s complicated
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD rear end side profile from driver's side with trees and a metal fence in the back.

Electric cars are slowly but surely getting cheaper. Over the past year or so, Ford and Tesla have been discounting their most popular electric cars while other brands, like Rivian, are laying the groundwork for all-new cheaper models.

But you'd still be hard-pressed to call electric cars cheap, and buying a completely new car in the first place is a hurdle in and of itself for many potential buyers. According to Statista, used car sales represented around 74% of all car sales in 2022, and while this figure is likely to change as electric cars get cheaper, the fact remains that most car buyers would prefer to save cash and buy used rather than buy something new.
Buying a new car ain't what it used to be
Buying a car with an electric powertrain doesn't necessarily need to be all that different from buying an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. But there's a little more to it than that.

Read more
Supernal wants the S-A2 to deliver us from gridlock with quiet, electric aviation
The Supernal S-A2 features a glassy cockpit and room for up to four passengers.

While its earthbound automotive divisions have been stewing up hydrogen from sewage and developing modular vans, Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) advanced air mobility company, Supernal, has had some lofty plans of its own. On Tuesday, the first day of CES 2024, Supernal unveiled the S-A2, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to bypass traffic by shuttling commuters on jaunts of 20 to 40 miles in urban areas.

“The SA-2 takes the best of an airplane, a safe smooth in-flight experience, and merges it with the best of a helicopter – convenience, and the ability to take off and land vertically, even in dense urban environments,” said Supernal CEO Jaiwon Shin. “It’s truly the best of both worlds, and it’s a powered by a battery: comfortable convenient and clean.”

Read more
Lamborghini Telemetry X can monitor your driving and your stress level
Data readout from the Lamborghini Telemetry X concept.

If you have a fast car, the only place to let it loose is a racetrack. And because being able to buy a fast car doesn't automatically imbue you with the driving skills to get the most out of it, you'll probably need some coaching as well. At CES 2024, Lamborghini unveiled a high-tech take on driver coaching that uses vehicle data to improve driver's skills. Called Telemetry X, the system is just a prototype for now, but could be applied to future Lamborghini supercars.

"In the near future, our supercars will offer not just thrills, but truly immersive driving experiences," Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. "Telemetry X is a perfect preview of the connected services our customers will be able to experience in the coming years."

Read more