• boonhet@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    16 hours ago

    EVs are currently running partially on fossil fuel just fine and generating less pollution than ICEs because power plant efficiency is still better than combustion engine efficiency.

    • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      8 hours ago

      That is nowhere near enough. It’s 33% versus 40% difference between co2/kWh . we need zero co2/kWh or else it’s all a waste of time.

      It’s only acceptable if we are transitioning to zero emission grid. If we stay on natural gas then it won’t even move the needle.

      • boonhet@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        8 hours ago

        We are transitioning towards it, but in the meantime, switching to EVs still reduces CO2 output and because the grid is getting cleaner, that means EVs get cleaner even after being manufactured and sold, whereas ICEs can only get cleaner through R&D and only get worse over time as they age (once they start burning oil, etc)

        • interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          3 hours ago

          A few percentage points reduction in co2 emission isn’t going to move the needle. The whole grid has to shutdown fossil fuel energy production for this transition to make sense.

          • boonhet@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 hours ago

            If you let perfect be the enemy of good, nothing ever gets done, because nothing is ever perfect right away.

            This change is already happening, an EV now in most western countries is significantly cleaner than an ICE and like I said, an ICE is doomed to spew gases for the remainder of its lifetime whereas EVs keep getting because the grid keeps getting cleaner.

            And even better, these statistics assume a 200k km lifetime for all cars. It tends to be much more than that, making the initial battery manufacturing even less impactful to the total CO2 production.