Antinuclear

Electric cars no help to environment, if powered by coal [or nuclear] fired electricity

Electric cars make more emissions unless green-powered, SMH,    December 4, 2012 VICTORIAN motorists who switch to an electric car can expect to produce less than half the greenhouse gas emissions than they would if driving a petrol-powered car – but only if they run it on 100 per cent green power, government research has found. If they don’t they will generate more emissions.

A new electric car run on renewable energy can also take as little as three years to recoup the carbon emissions generated in its manufacture, according to new evidence from the Victorian government’s electric vehicle trial.

The five-year trial, which is at its halfway point, is being held in the expectation that Victorians will switch to electric cars in their thousands in coming years, even though the number currently in use here is only 100 or so.

The Department of Transport expects plug-in cars will make up a quarter of new vehicle sales in Victoria by 2020. But an analysis of cars participating in the trial has found it is essential to charge them from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power to achieve any environmental good.

Victoria’s dependence on brown coal for energy is so high that any electric car that ran off the electricity grid would generate even more carbon emissions than one running on petrol……   http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/electric-cars-make-more-emissions-unless-greenpowered-20121203-2ar3x.html#ixzz2E9HnUt8N

December 4, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News