Originally Posted by
joshua362
I'd like to see a computation about electric cars with respects to the carbon that must be generated in a power plant somewhere to produce electricity in the first place.
I recalled seeing this study recently.
https://www.dw.com/en/ifo-study-cast...als/a-48460328
A Tesla Model 3 has a worse life-cycle carbon footprint than a similar-sized Mercedes diesel car, the renowned German think tank [IFO] has found. It warns that electric vehicles are "no panacea" against climate change.
It looked at not just generating electricity but the entire life cycle including manufacturing of the car and the battery, the latter being the biggest culprit. It's just one study but my impression is that there doesn't seem to be much independent research being done into accurately tracking and comparing the life-cycle emissions to one, determine what the best solutions are and two, encourage transparency so that improvements can be made.
There are also serious environmental and human rights concerns with the mining of raw materials and production of batteries...which of course reaches beyond cars to our cell phones, laptops, etc. but is required in much larger quantities for a vehicle.
https://www.greentechmedia.com/artic...t-at-what-cost
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/...tric-vehicles/