Electric Cars - The BIG benefit of electric cars

They are greener as soon as they start being driven

We have seen above that electric cars actually have a greater environmental impact than fossil-fuel powered ones when they are being made.  But that balance is reversed as soon as a car starts being driven.  When an electric car is being driven, it emits nothing from its exhaust pipe (it doesn't have one!), but it does emit particulates from its tyres and brakes.  In comparison, a fossil fuel powered car emits CO2 and a collection of other gases and particulates from its exhaust pipe, as well as particulates from its tyres and brakes.  

The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) states that the average CO2 emissions for a new petrol car sold in the UK in 2025 was 167g/ km, which is equivalent to 270g CO2 per mile.  So if we discount the fact that most official emissions figures are considerably better than those achieved by drivers in real-life conditions, and if we were to drive 2015's average new petrol car for 135,000 miles, it would emit over 36 tonnes of CO2 over its lifespan.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2025 figures put the average annual emissions for a petrol car much higher, at 222g /km CO2, or 357g CO2 per mile. So driving one of these 135,000 miles would emit over 48 tonnes of CO2!

With any of the above numbers, we need to remember that a further 6 tonnes of emissions are produced in the drilling, refining etc. of the fossil fuels needed to drive a petrol or diesel car for 135,000 miles.  That’s because the process of drilling for oil and gas releases around 57g CO2 per kWh of fuel produced.

To drive an electric car 135,000 miles using electricity coming from a mix of 80% fossil fuels and 20% renewables causes CO2 emissions of around 23 tonnes.  To travel the same distance when the electric car is receiving its charge from 100% renewable energy will cause just 2 tonnes of emissions.  

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So even in a country with an energy infrastructure based around coal and gas-fired power stations, an electric car has much less impact over its lifespan.  Given that many public recharging stations in the UK use 100% renewable energy, using an electric car here has the potential to create much lower emissions than a fossil fuel-powered car.  People who have bought electric cars also tend to use 100% renewable tariffs to charge their vehicles at home, increasing the likelihood of lower emissions.