EVs Reduce Urban Pollution...Study Says So

Earth Techling opens a recent article with this statement:

"One thing we’ve come to expect with the rise of electric vehicles is that pollution levels in areas where these are driven will drop, even if just slightly. Given the newness of mass adoption though, there’s only so much data out there to collaborate our assumption. A new three year study out of the United Kingdom does, in fact, support this viewpoint, which is certainly good to hear." LEAF Taxi in NYC Reduces Pollution

Yes, good to hear indeed. Now there's at least some evidence to support the pollution-reducing aspect of electric vehicles.

Though we always believed this to be true, it's welcome news that it's been proven, even if only through a rather limited bit of research.

That three-year study was conducted by Newcastle University, who concluded that

"Not only could electric vehicles reduce transport-related pollution in our cities, they also produce less CO2 per km than a combustion engine, even when the pollution associated with electricity generation at power stations is taken into account."

Another win for the electric vehicle!!!

As Earth Techling points out, the specific findings from the study include:

For all the electric vehicles in the study, their carbon efficiency was better than an equivalent internal combustion (IC) engine vehicle.

An average new build IC produces around 140g CO2/kg (not counting CO2 produced during fuel production / transport, which adds around 15% to the total emissions)

The average carbon output for the EV’s used in the trial was 85g CO2/kg (based on a UK electricity grid mix).

The research study included more than 200 volunteer drivers (44 electric vehicle drivers). The electric vehicles used in the study logged a combined total of 403,000 and recharged 19,900 times. Data logging systems record "details such as distance traveled, route, driving behavior and re-charging times." In the end, those 44 electric vehicles saved "76,000 kg of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere," says Earth Techling.

Phil Blythe, Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems at Newcastle University, “And what we’ve demonstrated is that EVs are a viable alternative to combustion engine vehicles for many drivers and would help us tackle rising pollution levels."

So, there it is. EVs can indeed combat rising pollution levels. Now we just need hundreds of millions on the roads to see and feel the impact for ourselves.

Source: Earth Techling