While we hear about electric vehicles being better for the environment because they have no tailpipe emissions, this isn’t the full story. Electric vehicles run off electricity, and depending on where that energy is sourced, the environmental impact will vary.

For well over a decade, Kiyoshi, owner of Ozark Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions was vehemently opposed to electric vehicles. After all, while they have no tailpipe emissions, the energy to charge the batteries has to come from somewhere.

In a place like Arkansas, that somewhere is 50% coal, a notoriously dirty energy source at all stages of production. In spite of this, EVs running off of coal are STILL better for the environment over the long run. Typically an EV hits its ‘trade-off point’ where it becomes better for the environment in the 25-40 thousand mile range although every vehicle is unique in its origin story.

How can this be? Efficiency. For every dollar of gasoline you put into a regular internal combustion engine (ICE), only 40 cents of that will actually go towards propelling you down the road. The rest of the energy potential is lost as heat, through idling, and lastly through inefficiencies in the driveline.

For any petrol heads, this is why the difference between Crank Horsepower and HP at the wheels varies so significantly. Typically when converting HP figures from Crank to Wheel, one can assume a 30% loss at a minimum.

To help compare apples to apples, the EPA has a standardized calculation to help consumers compare EVs to regular ICEs. This is deemed eMPG. That is, how many miles can an EV travel.

Do you have questions about Electric Vehicles? Talk to the experts at Ozark Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions. Their team is happy to talk-anything-EV whether you are in the market to have a charger installed or not.

------

https://www.ozarkev.com/