The EU must ensure that electric cars don't increase carbon emissions, says a new report from environmental groups.
The report from consultants CE Delft, commissioned by Friends of the Earth Europe, Greenpeace and Transport & Environment, calls for the setting of national renewable energy targets so that electric cars don't use more energy than fossil-fuelled cars.
At present the EU has a 'super credit' policy planned for 2012 to 2015, whereby car manufacturers will be allowed to offset every electric car sold against its average emissions quota.
If the super credit regulation is allowed to go through, an increase of electric car sales by 10 per cent could lead to a 20 per cent increase in oil consumption and CO2 emissions, claims the report.
“While electric cars can be part of the shift to a more sustainable transport model, they must be coupled with a commitment to ensure they run on renewable electricity,” said Sonja Meister, of Friends of the Earth Europe.
The report is also calling for electric cars to be fitted with smart metering technology so that they can charge up at times of low demand, often when wind and solar generation sources are providing surplus electricity.
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Re: Electric car emissions warning
Never mind all that... just feel the economic growth - that's all that's important. (Behind it all)
Re: Electric car emissions warning
Friends of the earth are nothing more than a pressure group and as such they are perfectly entitled to put forward ideas and make suggestions. What they don't have a right to do is to lay down what governments must do; it is up to to democratically elected governments to make decisions based on balancing the interests of different groups and individuals.
The coupling of the effectively unrelated topics of electric cars and renewable energy is again typical of the tree-huggers. The main benefit claimed for electric cars is that they improve air quality, especially in urban areas. This is true no matter how the electricity is generated, there are clean methods using fossil fuels. The case for renewable electricity sources is different, and is based on a variety of arguments. They must not be allowed to get away with this underhand method of trying to influence public opinion, and more importantly, legislators.
Re: Electric car emissions warning
I guess we need to plow ahead with sustainable and greener power sources. Its just a shame as one of the few European countries thats suitable for harnessing the wind we have all these NIMBY's opposing wind turbines. To be fair I'm from London so wouldn't have one near my house but surely they would prefer that to a conventional aesthetically ugly power station.
If we are going to move to hybrid and electric cars in our masses In guess we also have to change our usage habits if they are really going to consume a lot more power from the stations. Theres so amny people that drive to places that are easily within walking distance but complain about weight gain.