This was one of the best articles I found when researching the problem before I pulled the trigger - probably not perfect - but they seemed to document their sources/procedure quite transparently/thoroughly.
The irony, for someone to trying to minimise his carbon foot print, is that you really need to get out more,I have the luxury of an LR and relatively low mileage most of the time. I probably only need 30-40% a week right now - but can time a couple of charges just right over a week if I need more.
So - I appreciate it might not work for all - but I’m influencing my break-even by doing charges at the low-carbon points for the local energy grid.
Go appears to coincide with low carbon intensity periods 1-3 times a week. Windy weekends are great. Guildford appears to get French nuclear for a lot of base load. Gas appears to crank up on still days. Summertime appears to have decreased carbon intensity (less demand, less spiky demand I assume).
Local Carbon Intensity Forecast (a 'when to charge' iOS Widget)
Guys, Exploring the installation of solar to make my CO2 footprint less - I've been realising I can't fit enough to justify it (my urban semi has poncy dormers etc). So - thinking about the interesting carbon intensity forecast API VanillaAir pointed at recently - and the UK electricity...teslamotorsclub.com
This has made me a grid-nerd. My dinner-time conversation-opener with the kids is often about how clean the power will be tonight. I’ve begun to obsess about minimising the CO2 “in the tank” to an unhealthy extent way past the forecast’s reliability! Do I charge fully tonight or hedge my bets by leaving 20% free for the 40g/kWh period that looks like it’s coming tomorrow during Go?!
Hardly unbiased All power production is filthy and environmentally damaging Let's not mention the cobalt, the geopolitical aspects of rare earth elements or the environmental aspects of greenwashed renewables, the actual processes involved in recycling batteries or the problem with end-of life solar Oh, and isn't the lubricating/insulating oils used in high voltage switches something really, really nasty? Add a few more nuclear power plants to bridge the gaps too
There is certainly a lot of greenwashing around, and no one sensible has ever said that EVs are the whole/only solution to future transportation problems. However, I posted the link that I did as it seems to me that it's the "hardly unbiased" petrochemical industry that is most guilty of deliberately hiding the truth, given that (like the tobacco industry before it) it is spending huge sums on propaganda to sweep its own damage under the carpet. The problems you outline might never quite go away, and I think are generally accepted by even EV advocates, but things are improving: the energy mix in the UK is increasing skewing towards renewables; cobalt is being used less and less in EV batteries in general, and Tesla batteries in particular (and I believe soon won't be needed at all?); ditto, rare earth minerals. There are moves towards the almost complete recycling of batteries and, for example, there's the possibility of mining lithium in the UK in a relatively non-destructive way.
What a helpful way to contribute to a 3 month dead thread. It's also not true, oil was formed from plankton, algae etc. that lived in vast numbers in during the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic age in conditions that don't exist on earth for it to happen again. So no, atmospheric CO2 can not turn back into petrol.
Just make sure you consider his graph are all based on the emissions of the average US grid, not the UK grid. We are better, so the payback is sooner. Also it's kinda incredible that average US cars do 25mpg!
