Electric cars generate CO2 via their electricity requirements
The Hummer EV is the least efficient EV on the market
Even with this level of emissions, it is more environmentally friendly than other large SUVs powered by gasoline
A recent study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy showed that some electric vehicles can actually generate more CO2 than smaller gasoline-powered models.
Indeed, despite not having tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles still contribute to global pollution, especially when they are driven in areas where electricity is generated using fossil energy such as coal or fuel.
One vehicle that exemplifies this problem is the new GMC Hummer EV, a massive electric truck that weighs more than 9,000 pounds and is powered by a 212 kWh battery, which is heavier than most compact sedans on its own.
This has many disadvantages, such as causing much more wear to roads and traffic infrastructure, but it mostly makes the Hummer EV very inefficient, with an EPA rating of 47 MPGe, the lowest among any electric vehicle.
In order to offer a decent range, the Hummer EV needs a lot of electricity, which is why it turns out to be more polluting than the mid-size Chevrolet Malibu when it is used in areas where the electricity is generated from non-renewable sources, which accounts for about 60% of the US.
According to the study, the Hummer EV generates 341 grams of CO2 per mile while the Malibu rates at 320 grams for the same distance. Furthermore, the Chevrolet Bolt is responsible for only 92 grams of CO2 per mile in the same conditions. These numbers don’t even factor in the emissions generated when the vehicles were built, which are much higher for battery-powered vehicles.
Of course, this comparison doesn’t tell the whole story since the Hummer EV is undeniably more eco-friendly than its combustion-engined predecessor, the H1, which rejected 889 grams of CO2 into the atmosphere for every mile driven and it is also less polluting than the other large trucks and SUVs currently on the market.
Nevertheless, this sheds light on the fact that many people see electric cars as being entirely clean without considering that, they too, generate polluting emissions, only in a different and less direct way.
Source: ACEEE
