Benefits of Electric Vehicles on the Environment
Benefits of Electric Vehicles on the Environment
Recent research has shown that electric vehicles are beneficial for the environment. They produce far less greenhouse gasses than diesel and petrol cars, this includes the productivity of manufacture and electricity production.
Here is a simple guide to answer some of the most common questions around electric vehicles and the environment.
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Are electric vehicles better for the environment?
Electric vehicles contribute massively towards the quality of air around towns and cities. Electric vehicles produce no carbon dioxide making our streets cleaner and a better place for our pedestrians and cyclists. One electric car used everyday will save approximately 1.5 million grams of CO2. That’s like flying from London to Rome and back..twice!!
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Electric Vehicles and UK’s Zero Emission Targets
London’s ministry for transport stated that road transport pollution accounts for 50% of the capitals air pollution. This has led to a dramatic change to accelerate the number of electric vehicles on today’s roads. Additionally, electric vehicles reduce noise pollution, especially in heavy traffic areas as vehicles with electric motors are quieter making a more peaceful environment.
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Compare an electric vs petrol car
The greatest advantage to owning an electric vehicle is the overall cost of ownership. Petrol and diesel cars require many times more maintenance with servicing, oil changes and other perpetual costs. Electric cars have a higher initial outlay but over time this is offset with continuous low-cost motoring.
The only disadvantage on ownership of an electric vehicle is the time it takes to recharge. Certain amounts of planning are required for long journeys to plan access to charging points, understand the times to charge and whether it would change your journey route.
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How does electric car production affect the environment?
Manufacturing electric vehicles uses huge sums of energy, however surprisingly little energy after they have been produced so over a 10-to-15-year period electric vehicles are still much lower consumers of energy than conventionally vehicles.
When manufacturing the lithium-ion batteries the consumption of energy is higher when compared to conventional vehicles. This manufacturing process takes up 30% of the production energy costs of manufacture. The good news is as manufacturing processes are being constantly refined.
Research is continually looking at ways to reuse batteries from powering homes to being an emergency power supply during power-cuts. In the not-so-distant future homes could be powered by batteries reducing the environmental cost of batteries further.
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What about the electricity required to fuel an electric car?
Recent research by the Research by the European Energy Agency found that electric vehicles are around 24% more environmentally than their petrol/diesel driven counterpart. These figures are even more profound if the energy comes from renewable sources.
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Are hybrid cars just as good for the environment?
Vehicles with both electric and a fuel driven system are called a hybrid powered vehicle. These produce emissions when the traditional fuel is used. The green credentials of a hybrid vehicle depend on the ration of how long a journey is run by electric and how much is run with traditional fuel. This also includes how the vehicle is charged and your personal driving style.
All this shows that electric vehicles have a big role to play in reducing transport emissions and being a major factor in cleaning up the air we breathe.
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Source: August 4, 2021 by leon@explosure.co.uk
