Electric Vehicles and Their Impact on the Environment

One of the most publicized advantage of using an electric car or EV is that it has less adverse impact to the environment.

All-electric battery powered cars, for example, do not have exhaust pipes, so there are no carbon pollutants emitted. With the growing electric cars in texasglobal awareness on carbon emission and its impact to the environment, a car that produces 0% carbon emission definitely sounds good.

However, a study published by the National Academy of Sciences indicates that electric cars may not be as environment-friendly as most people think. According to a report, the determining factor is the source of electricity used to power up the electric vehicle. "If it comes from coal, the electric cars produce 3.6 times more soot and smog deaths than gas, because of the pollution made in generating the electricity. They also are significantly worse at heat-trapping carbon dioxide that worsens global warming."[1]

According to the US Energy Information Administration, "Texas is the largest coal-consuming state, and its emissions of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are among the highest in the nation. Most of the coal consumed in the state is used to generate electric power. Texas produces more electricity than any other state, generating almost twice as much as the next largest generating state. More than two-thirds of the electricity generated is from independent power producers. Almost half of the electricity generated in Texas comes from natural gas-fired power plants, while coal-fired power plants account for about one-third of the net electricity generation."[2]

One way to help minimize possible adverse impact to the environment is to charge up your electric car using electricity powered by other renewable energy sources. This is one advantage Texas consumers have, since the state is one of the leading producers of renewable energy. Better yet, if your electric service provider uses renewable energy, you can charge up at home.

To find out more about electricity providers using natural gas and other renewable energy sources, just log on to www.comparelectricitytexas.com, where you can view and compare electricity rates, promotions and terms from the most reliable electricity providers in Texas.

 

 


[1]    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/16/electric-cars-environment_n_6329186.html

[2]    http://www.eia.gov/state/print.cfm?sid=TX

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