Hyperdrive
Electric Cars Are Cleaner Even When Powered by Coal
- Emissions from EVs 40% lower than gasoline cars, BNEF says
- Researcher expects difference to grow as clean energy expands
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Electric cars are better for the environment than traditional gasoline models, and that benefit will grow as power generators shift away from coal.
That’s the conclusion of research by BloombergNEF, which found carbon dioxide emissions from battery-powered vehicles were about 40 percent lower than for internal combustion engines last year. The difference was biggest in Britain and the U.K., which have large renewables industries. It still held in China, which is more reliant on coal to make electricity.