Electric Cars Not As Eco As Policymakers Claim, Says Executive Who Developed Nissan LEAF

[raptor5244]

Electric Cars Not As Eco As Policymakers Claim, Says Executive Who Developed Nissan LEAF

Zero tailpipe emissions and net-zero are not the same things, says Andy Palmer, the veteran automotive executive responsible for launching Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric car.

www.forbes.com

 

[Tam]

Anti-EV reverses the stats: they say EV is 70% worse but:

"The researchers say average “lifetime“ emissions from electric cars are up to 70% lower than petrol cars in countries like Sweden and France (where most electricity comes from renewables and nuclear), and around 30% lower in the UK."

Electric car emissions myth 'busted'

Fears that electric cars could actually increase carbon emissions are a baseless, a study suggests.

www.bbc.com

Electric Vehicle Myths | US EPA

Facts and myths about electric vehicles.

www.epa.gov

 

[apodbdrsM3]

Electric Cars Not As Eco As Policymakers Claim, Says Executive Who Developed Nissan LEAF

Zero tailpipe emissions and net-zero are not the same things, says Andy Palmer, the veteran automotive executive responsible for launching Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric car.

www.forbes.com

A couple of things, all superchargers scheduled to be on renewable energy by end of 2021. Secondly, many of us and more have solar as well a power walls. California, is vastly increasing their power sources to renewable energy.

Tesla says it will power all Superchargers with renewable energy this year

Tesla apparently made an Earth Day announcement that flew under the radar: The automaker intends to power all Supercharger stations...

electrek.co

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

It's just the old "But what about building the car!" trope.

 

[CSFTN]

Since when do executives develop new vehicles (or anything for that matter)?
They are presented with a concept (maybe they asked for it specifically, maybe just routine part of business).
They evaluate it using whatever methods they feel are appropriate
They approve or disapprove. If they approve, perhaps they assign a budget, perhaps they assign personnel and equipment. Or maybe someone else does these things
They occasionally provide motivation for the project
They occasionally get/review progress reports
They occasionally opine/direct ongoing issues
They take credit for success or deny blame for failure

A guy who was in charge of an early and somewhat poor program who may or may not have had any expertise in that program, years later notes negatives? I don't see this as significant

 

[Merrill]

A couple of things, all superchargers scheduled to be on renewable energy by end of 2021. Secondly, many of us and more have solar as well a power walls. California, is vastly increasing their power sources to renewable energy.

Tesla says it will power all Superchargers with renewable energy this year

Tesla apparently made an Earth Day announcement that flew under the radar: The automaker intends to power all Supercharger stations...

electrek.co

They have one month to make this happen, I do not see it being done. Most of Tesla’s superchargers are not powered by renewable’s today so do not see how this could happen.

 

[Two-rocks]

I drive an EV because it’s better at all things ‘driving’.

When I’m feeling ECO I ride my bike.

 

[MontyFloyd]

Electric Cars Not As Eco As Policymakers Claim, Says Executive Who Developed Nissan LEAF

Zero tailpipe emissions and net-zero are not the same things, says Andy Palmer, the veteran automotive executive responsible for launching Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric car.

www.forbes.com

Misses the point that even 1% reduction in a billion gallons of fuel is 10 million gallons less.

 

[MontyFloyd]

More to articles point:
As MFG improves and more renewable energy is used in production the lower the Carbon cost in producing.
I do not argue that at this moment a BEV production is more Carbon intensive than ICE.

Next goal in carbon reduction?

 

[ArchEtech]

Nothing is really 100% carbon neutral, and EV certainly are not. No question, not having emissions at the source has a benefit, but that comes from a cost on the front end that is often either not talked about realistically, or ignored. EV technology is not a panacea.

If we could all just got back to having rational conversations we could probably figure lots of things out!

 

[MontyFloyd]

Nothing is really 100% carbon neutral, and EV certainly are not. No question, not having emissions at the source has a benefit, but that comes from a cost on the front end that is often either not talked about realistically, or ignored. EV technology is not a panacea.

If we could all just got back to having rational conversations we could probably figure lots of things out!

But it is a net benefit given expectations of what a car should be.

I read that LiFePO4 batteries can easily manage over 2000 charge cycles, with 4000 possible, and then factor the simpler mechanical design of EV, an EV could easily last 15 years with over 80% capacity, even 20 possible.

This is like comparing an Incandescent light vs LED light.
Early LED's were expensive, limited, and prone to early failure due to component quality issues.
Today an LED is not just more reliable and longer lasting, but far better with more options.

There may be a new industry of a complete refurbishing an EV after 10 years.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Nothing is really 100% carbon neutral, and EV certainly are not. No question, not having emissions at the source has a benefit, but that comes from a cost on the front end that is often either not talked about realistically, or ignored. EV technology is not a panacea.

Who's ignoring it? Not talked about? We've been reading EV whataboutism for years. Before that it was hybrid whataboutism. Remember the Prius v Hummer junk, and how long that persisted in the public consciousness long after it was debunked?

If we could all just got back to having rational conversations we could probably figure lots of things out!

It's very easy.

If you keep making changes for the better, you keep moving closer to the ideal.
If you refuse to make a change for the better, because it isn't a panacea, you don't get closer to the ideal.

EV primarily just needs price reduction. That's forecast to happen this decade, particularly from around 2025.
Renewable electricity is already cheap and primarily needs faster expansion of capacity.
Combine the two and you have huge synergies. Renewables provide electricity with a dramatic reduction in fossil energy use, EVs significantly reduce the amount of energy needed to move a vehicle. EVs provide flexible demand, and potentially electricity storage and time-shifting.

And the more you shift transportation to electric, and electricity to renewables the more the fossil energy inputs into manufacturing and supply of materials are reduced.