Reports emerge that electric cars can only be environmentally friendly under some circumstances but by far much a threat than the petrol or diesel cars. Studies by the Norwegian University of science and Technology indicated that greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.
Focusing on the life cycle of both electric cars and conventional cars, the study found that the production phase of electric vehicles proved substantially more environmentally intensive and global warming potential from electric cars is twice as much as potential cars.
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credit:DaimerChrysler
If the main phases that always prove much pollution are two i.e (the first and last phase) and electric cars tend to score high in these cases, then when should we consider electric cars more environment friendly ? that is the likely question one is asking ..
Here is the case where electric cars tend to beneficial and more environment safer than the petrol and diesel cars. In areas where electricity is produced in a number of different ways, electric cars do offer environmental benefits when compared with cars with internal combustion engines. An example is the case in Europe where electric vehicles powered by the present European electricity mix offer a 10% to 24% decrease in their global warming potential relative to conventional diesel or petrol vehicles.
Presently, there are significant improvement in the cars' battery that might boost the longevity of electric cars in future. However petrol and diesel engines are being improved as well, something that could see a significant reduction in fuel consumption.
ref:bbc