EVs' lifecycle emissions 50% of diesel cars

Tesla Model 3

From EV Obsession:

I often hear claims, from EV detractors, that electric cars produce more CO2 than an ICE powered car, because the electricity is produced from polluting sources, and CO2 from the production process of batteries adds to the total.  They skirt round the realities of every ICE powered car having an atmospheric pollution pipe sticking out the back, producing CO2, and rather more, for the entire lifetime of the car. The entire process of oil extraction is highly polluting, and also releases methane into the atmosphere.

A recent report in the Guardian entirely debunks the whole myth.  Researchers calculated that the total life-cycle emissions of an electric car, including its manufacture, battery manufacture, and all of its energy consumption, is significantly less than diesel powered cars, even when they are powered by electricity from coal.   Where the electricity is from renewable sources, the comparison is even more favourable for electric vehicles.  For example –

In Poland, which uses high volumes of coal, electric vehicles produced 25% less emissions than diesels, 

but, in Sweden, with Europe’s cleanest grid, electric vehicles produced a remarkable 85% less, 

and in the UK, as somewhere in between, EVs still managed 50% less.

Those figures are based on the assumption that drivers would use electricity from all sources, where I know that many drivers seek out 100% renewables, for home charging. All EV drivers on the motorway, using Ecotricity fast-chargers, use 100% renewable electricity.

[Read more here]

Don't forget that Tesla's Nevada gigafactory is entirely powered by solar panels.  Also Tesla has promised to 100% recycle all its old batteries.  And also, it is perfectly possible to make steel using green hydrogen or green methane, made via renewable electricity.