Category Archives: Pollution

The carbon footprint of different travel options is a misleading guide to action

March 8, 2023Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Some time ago an eco-conscious friend of mine told me he preferred to drive his family to the Peak District as it was more environmentally friendly than taking the bus. With all the bus cuts it is undoubtedly more convenient and cheaper to drive but more environmentally friendly?

Really?

The information my friend was using as the basis for his decision was a well known infographic derived from Government statistics which compares the emissions per passenger kilometre from different modes of transport. This typically shows that a bus emits more than twice the carbon dioxide per passenger km than a car with four passengers.

For example, the latest 2022 Defra statistics show that an average petrol car emits 170g of carbon dioxide vs 96g for an average bus, and 35g for national rail per passenger km.

If you assume there are four passengers in a car then the emissions per passenger km reduces to a quarter or around 43g which many of the infographics show. But for some reason they don’t do the same with a bus or train. In fact, in our heads for a family of four travelling by bus we tend to multiply the emissions by four as you would when estimating how much it would cost to take the bus or train. This produces a highly inaccurate representation of what is the most eco-friendly form of travel. Hey presto, driving is the new veganism.

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EU approves 2035 ban on selling petrol and diesel cars

March 3, 2023Buying/Leasing, Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

No more emissions from 2035 for cars and vans sold in Europe

The EU has today voted to approve legislation effectively banning the future sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans. In order to sell vehicles in Europe, carmakers will have to cut emissions by 100 per cent by 2035 compared to 2021 levels, which means that all new cars and vans are going to be CO2-emission-free.

Though carmakers with small production numbers – less than 1,000 cars annually – will have exemption until 2035, mass production manufacturers are being encouraged with some pretty big carrots to create zero-emission and “well-performing plug-in hybrids” between 2025 and 2029. The 2035 zero-emissions standard is more aggressive than originally planned.

EU spokesperson Jan Huitema said: “This regulation encourages the production of zero- and low-emission vehicles. It contains an ambitious revision of the targets for 2030 and a zero-emission target for 2035, which is crucial to reach climate neutrality by 2050.

“These targets create clarity for the car industry and stimulate innovation and investments for car manufacturers. Purchasing and driving zero-emission cars will become cheaper for consumers and a second-hand market will emerge more quickly. It makes sustainable driving accessible to everyone.”

In a campaign entitled ‘Fit for 55’, the EU is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 compared to 2021 levels. To support this, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles sold from 2030 and 2035 respectively will have to comply with new emissions standards by law.

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6 reasons to drive an EV

February 28, 2023Buying a new car, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Sometimes, picking a new car is as simple as seeing a vehicle you just know you want. More often, it’s a complicated decision where you weigh up a range of factors before selecting the best option for you. If you’re in this position, here are six electric car advantages to make you think EV.

You’re helping the environment

One of the main EV benefits is the reduced environmental impact they have on our world. Electric cars aren’t completely free of CO2, though. A lot of the electricity they use comes from non-renewable sources. Plus, they have to be built and transported, which is likely to involve emissions as well.

However, it seems safe to say that they are still a lot better for the environment than petrol or diesel engines. It generally produces less CO2 to create energy in a power station than it does to do it in a car engine. And some of your electricity will likely come from renewable sources as well.

“The response from police drivers to the BMW i3 has been very positive. It’s actually a very quick car.”

On top of that, an electric engine is around **three times for efficient** than a petrol engine in terms of how it uses its. All in all, you can be confident you’re making a difference.

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Surprise! Electric cars are already making California healthier

February 27, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, PollutionRepost

From the “duh” department, California is already becoming more healthy because of electric car penetration, which has resulted in cleaner air in areas where electric cars are more prevalent, according to a new study.

The study was published last week by the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. It tracked real-world pollution levels, electric car penetration, and emergency room visits across California between 2013 and 2019, and controlled against overall improvements in California air quality during the study period.

Completely unsurprisingly, the study found that clean air vehicles actually resulted in clean air, with the benefits being stronger in areas where there were more of them. Amazing. Who knew.

Each increase of 20 cars per 1,000 people (which is roughly equivalent to 2% of cars – since CA has 840 cars per 1,000 people) was associated with a .41ppb (parts per billion) drop in nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. California law sets average NOx standards at 30ppb, so a drop of .41 is a pretty big chunk, especially when compared to just 2% of EV penetration.

It stands to reason that taking gas cars off the road would reduce NOx, because nitrogen dioxide is a form of pollution particularly associated with vehicle tailpipes, and is the major contributor to the formation of smog, with a variety of negative health effects.

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Calls for VAT relief on electric car ‘street charging’

February 17, 2023Away From Home, Economy, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Electric car owners with driveways are paying less to power their vehicles at home than those forced to rely on on-street charging points.

The disparity risks “undermining the Government’s net-zero transport strategy”, claim critics. Campaigners are now calling for VAT on public charging points to be slashed from 20 per cent to the domestic rate of five per cent.

The Government plans to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars from 2030.

But Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said: “Not everyone has access to home EV charging. In dense urban areas many do not have a driveway, so charging a vehicle at home is not an option.”

The RAC is calling for VAT on public charge-points to be cut to five per cent. Spokesman Simon Williams said: “A quality charging infrastructure will be key to helping people switch from conventional vehicles to electric ones.

“We must ensure those without driveways are not penalised with higher costs, otherwise there’s a risk the Government’s net-zero transport strategy will be undermined.”

But treasury minister Victoria Atkins said: “VAT relief for public EV charging would impose additional pressure on the public finances, to which VAT makes a significant contribution. VAT is the UK’s third largest tax, forecast to raise £157billion in 2022-23, helping to fund key spending priorities such as the NHS, education and defence.”

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Electric Vehicles Might Save the Derestricted Areas of the Autobahn

February 16, 2023Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Over the past few years, there’s been some talk from German government officials about potentially removing the derestricted areas of the Autobahn. Adding speed limits (albeit likely high ones) to all sections of the Autobahn was proposed to reduce emissions and reduce nationwide fuel consumption. There’s also a question of safety, as cars have become far faster than ever before. However, the increase in electric vehicle usage might actually save the Autobahn’s derestricted zones.

Germany’s Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing told Bild am Sonntag (h/t to Car Throttle) that EVs are slowing down the way people drive, so as to conserve batteries. So not only do EVs tend to reduce the number of people driving at incredible speeds but those that do drive quickly in EVs are producing no emissions doing so. Even highly efficient internal combustion cars produce more emissions at the top end of their rev ranges while trying to hit top speed. EVs do not.

Two on-demand Renault Zoe autonomous taxis will be deployed in Rouen, Normandy. Pictured is the standard version of the 2016 Renault Zoe. (Renault)

The great irony of this is that EVs are often look at as the death of fun in performance cars by many car enthusiasts. Those same enthusiasts also hate the idea of Germany speed-restricting all of the Autobahn. However, it’s EVs that might actually save those unrestricted areas for the very enthusiasts that hate them.

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Which cars are Ulez compliant as London zone is set to be expanded? From Nissan Leaf to Honda Jazz

February 15, 2023Congestion Charge, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Cars that meet certain emission standards are exempt from the £12.50-a-day levy

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) will be extended to all of London’s boroughs in an effort to promote public health and clean up the city’s air from August 29, 2023.

The Ulez was launched in 2019 and expanded to cover the inner boroughs in October 2021.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand it further has provoked mass opposition, but he has vowed to press ahead with his plans. “I don’t want anyone to come to our city and breathe in poison.” he said on Monday.

The initiative means that 15 per cent of vehicles registered in the new outer London zone, about 200,000 at present, will be liable for a £12.50-a-day levy.

But an estimated five million Londoners will breathe cleaner air, according to City Hall. This is due to the likely impact of a city-wide zone further accelerating the switch to cleaner vehicles in the suburbs.

More than 96 per cent of cars in the existing zone, which extends to the inner boundaries of the North and South Circular Roads, comply with the exhaust-emission rules and do not have to pay the 24/7 charge.

But which cars are Ulez compliant and what does the acronym mean?

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You’re Being Lied to About Electric Cars

December 22, 2022Electric Cars, FAQ, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Science has repeatedly shown EVs are better for humans, despite the meme you just retweeted.

I’ve heard all the supposed arguments. It seems every time anything even tangentially related to electric cars is published, certain people feel compelled to share their own research. You’ve probably heard it all, too: A Prius is worse for the planet than a Hummer. EVs are coal-powered cars. Electric cars produce more CO2 than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Lithium mining is uniquely bad for the environment. Cobalt mining relies largely on slave labor, if not child slave labor. Actually, that last part is sadly true. But the rest? Lies. And I’m not even going to get into the hypocrisy of posting anti-EV rhetoric from a lithium-ion-battery-powered phone or laptop.

The first thing we should talk about is direct versus indirect emissions. Gas-powered vehicles have both direct and indirect emissions, while electric cars—I’m specifically talking about battery-powered vehicles, or BEVs, but we will just call them EVs—only have indirect emissions. How so? Both types of cars/trucks/SUVs are manufactured, and the process of building cars involves a global manufacturing effort that uses energy from all sorts of sources. This includes everything from the diesel fuel used to mine and transport metal to the electricity used to manufacture tires. A big knock on EVs is that because most battery production is centered in China, itself a notorious coal-burning country, battery-powered cars begin their service lives with more indirect emissions to their credit.

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California’s ban on gas-powered vehicles: Huge victory in the 50-year war for the electric car

October 4, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

It took 50 years, but California clean-air regulators never surrendered — and the electric future is here

The California Air Resources Board’s recent decision to phase out all sales of gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035 marked the culmination of a 50-year struggle by CARB to clean up California’s vehicular pollution, which has long been the largest source of the state’s infamous and sometimes horrendous smog syndrome, and is now its biggest contribution to the climate crisis.

The story begins with two defeats, more than 20 years apart: All the way back in 1969, the California legislature came within one vote of phasing out the internal combustion engine. Even then, nearly enough legislators were convinced that the gasoline-powered engine could never be sufficiently clean. A generation later, in 1990, CARB tried again to mandate a shift to electric vehicles (EVs) in place of oil-dependent gasoline and diesel — this time with new concerns about climate change as a driving force. On that occasion the oil and auto industries dug in their heels — while making seemingly insincere efforts to produce a few thousand electric cars — and then managed to roll back the entire EV mandate as a failure. The cars that had actually been built were almost all scrapped, leaving behind, as this effort’s principal legacy, the powerful but plaintive 2006 documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” narrated by Martin Sheen.

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Have booming EV sales crossed the mass-adoption tipping point?

August 18, 2022Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, PollutionRepost

Analysts suggest the world could be nearing a critical electric vehicle sales tipping point, when volatile early adoption trends are overtaken by mainstream demand.

It is widely acknowledged that we are not acting quickly enough to address climate change. Global emissions have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels, China and India continue to build coal plants across their countries, and even the EU – long lauded as a climate leader – was told this month it needs to double the pace of its wind and solar roll-out to be on track for 1.5°C.

One area where progress has been pleasingly apace is the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Sales of EVs – defined in this article as both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) – doubled in 2021 on a year-on-year basis, to hit 6.6 million worldwide. Back in 2012, just 120,000 electric cars were sold.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its net-zero pathway that 60% of new passenger cars must be EVs by 2030 for the world to be on a trajectory for net zero by mid-century, with all cars being so by 2050. While sales of EVs only made up 8.3% of cars sold in 2021, projected exponential growth means that EVs are one of the few areas the IEA believes to be on track for net zero 2050.

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