All-electric vehicles have been touted as the key to a bright, pollution-free future, but a new study has indicated that plug-in vehicles may not be as green as they seem.
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The crux of the issue is where the electric car gets its power–if burning coal provides the energy, a “green” all-electric vehicle generates enough pollution to contribute to 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gasoline does, said the study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Department of Energy data says that 39 percent of the country’s electricity comes from coal, with West Virginia, Wyoming, Ohio, North Dakota and Illinois notching the highest percentages of coal-generated electricity.
In the study, the researchers examined “the air quality-related human health impacts of 10 [alternative fuel] options, including the use of liquid biofuels, diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) in internal combustion engines; the use of electricity from a range of conventional and renewable sources to power electric vehicles (EVs); and the use of hybrid EV technology.”
Read more: https://www.autoworldnews.com/articles/11268/20141216/study-questions-how-green-electric-cars-really-are.htm#ixzz3MGupQIC5