People skeptical about the environmental benefits of driving an electric car often argue that the emissions associated with building the car cancel out the emissions reduction in driving it. They then argue that the greenest car is the one already sitting in your driveway. The claim is that it is better for the planet to keep one’s gas car running as long as possible.
A University of California, Santa Cruz professor designed a study to evaluate these claims. The study was designed to give every possible advantage to internal combustion vehicles. But even with the scales tipped, EVs still come out ahead.
Swapping even a two-year-old gas car for an EV leads to a lifetime emissions savings of roughly 50%. In terms of the emissions associated with building electric cars, the break-even point is at about 18,000 miles, about a year-and-a-half for the average driver.
The benefits of EVs depend on where you live and how much you drive. In places with the greenest grid - for example upstate New York where much of the power is hydroelectric - the benefits are largest. In terms of emissions, driving electric there is like having a gas car that gets 219 miles per gallon.
In order to repay the carbon debt of making a new EV, the car must be driven at least 4,400 miles. So, if one’s car sits in the garage most of the time, there aren’t enough emissions to avoid by driving electric.
The main takeaway from the study is that there is no environmental motivation for extending the lifetime of a gas vehicle. In terms of the environment, EVs are a very clear winner.
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Your gas car works fine. Consider an EV anyway.
