http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/05/study-green-cars-might-cause-as-much-or-more-pollution-than-gas-cars/

http://blog.wegowise.com/blog2/bid/129808/Your-Car-s-Carbon-Footprint-Hybrid-vs-Gasoline-vs-Electric-Cars

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/auto-blog/electric-vehicles-pollute-more-than-gas-or-diesel

First, the world (mostly USA, China, and India) sustain their economies using Coal. While we may reduce CO2 emissions using underground sequestering, it is highly unlikely that mankind will quit using coal in the short term (next 100 years for instance). We will however improve the efficiency of power distribution using future smart-grid control and perhaps using high power DC power transmission through supercooled conduits. We will not, I bet, get off coal for power generation any time soon. So, we should at least try and make the power generation and distribution systems as efficient as possible. As noted in earlier comments, charging up commuter cars at night is one great way to do that.

Second, electric vehicle operating efficiency is typically in excess of 85% (measured in terms of using the power coming from the charging outlet). Modern power utilities deliver electric to homes at about 40% efficiency. So, the effective efficiency of a typical EV is on the order of 34%. This represents an approximate doubling of the operating efficiency of typical gasoline powered commuter vehicles.

Thirdly, as demand for electric based transportation increases, the supply side will (is) fund development of massive solar generating facilities in the southwest. True, there will be considerable pain building new supporting distribution systems, but as oil becomes increasingly scarce, the not-in-my-back-yard folks will become less reluctant (especially if the distribution system is constructed with underground tunnels, as has been proposed).

Lastly, the global warming problem is already in play. Existing levels of CO2 and MH4 will remain in the troposphere for decades even if we quit emitting cold turkey. Arctic ice is melting rapidly, the permafrost is warming (thus releasing methane), and the root cause of this warming (the 100,000 year Milankovitch solar cycle) has not changed. Not my generation, I think, but certainly the next generation will have to perform some geophical modifications that will temporarily cool the earth until the Milankovitch cycles starts down its inevitable slope towards the next ice age. Several really good ideas have been proposed on how to realize the remedy. (See for instance, Super Freakonomics by Levitt & Dubner.

I’m soon going to be a proud owner of a new EV and it will be powered by my newly installed residential PV system.

Charles Rightmyer, San Diego, California

As the author says, though, it’s even better if the plant is powered by something other than fossil fuels. I wonder how ze feels about nuclear?

Of course anyone concerned about pollution from a coal plant shouldn’t be running their house on that dirty energy. Most Americans waste more kilowatt hours in their homes than they would use in an EV. Getting serious about efficiency is what’s needed. You could easily reduce your household’s consumption of kWh and use those to power your car.

Lastly, if you have a good roof for solar, you should consider installing a PV system. I did 8 years ago and bought my EV about the same time. The system cost me about $15K out of pocket and generates virtually all the energy I need for both the house and the car. My electric bill averages about $100 per year. I haven’t been to a gas station since 2002 and I’ve driven over 84,000 miles… all on sunshine!

The EV is going to take over car sales in the coming years. It’ll take some time to get the volumes up, but it’ll happen. The technology is vastly superior to gas burners.