Are Electric Vehicles as "Clean" as You Think?

As electric vehicles (EVs) have become more and more popular, my family decided to lease one out for the first time. EVs are always being advertised as "cleaner" than the typical gasoline powered car, obtaining their fuel from the grid if charged at home or from electric charging stations when out on, say, a road trip. Every time we have stopped at one of these stations, I've wondered, Where exactly is this electric power coming from? If the power for EVs isn't harnessed renewably, then are they actually that "clean"? Many large EV charging companies do not directly disclose where their stations' electric power is harnessed from. They are likely secretive because although electric vehicles do not directly emit harmful gasses into the atmosphere, "...as much as two-thirds of the electricity used to recharge the vehicle's batteries is produced by burning fossil fuels..." according to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. EVs are becoming cleaner, though, as more renewable energy enters the grid, allowing more charging stations to be powered renewably. 


Credit: https://notbuyinganything.blogspot.com/2016/04/electric-vehicles-reduce-demand-for.html


One of the largest public nationwide EV charging station networks, EVgo, announced in 2019 that it aims to serve its customers with 100% renewable energy by 2030, becoming the first major network to do so. The company has been "...buying a combination of Green-e® certified wind and solar energy through its electricity suppliers..." with every one of their charging stations in the state of California already being powered by solar energy. This is excellent news as the ever-growing number of EVs utilizing EVgo's stations (according to the company, its stations powered 75 million electric miles in 2018, an increase of 88% from the previous year) will soon be producing zero emissions. 


Credit: EVgo

Another exciting piece of news is a recently announced partnership between Envision Solar, a leading renewable energy provider, and Charge Point, the world's largest EV charging station network. This partnership will bring forth an array of new fully solar-powered, off-grid EV chargers from Charge Point, called the EV ARC™. According to the companies', "The EVs charged on […] [their] combined products will be truly emissions-free..." allowing customers to feel as though they are fully contributing to creating a cleaner, more sustainable environment. 


Credit: https://beamforall.com/product/ev-arc-2020/

On a smaller scale, cities and even states have put forward goals to increase the number of EVs and be powered entirely through renewable energy. Smaller endeavors to provide EV chargers with renewable energy and serve as excellent examples of making EVs truly emission-free. One such program, started by Austin Energy called the Plug-in EVerywhere Network, gives customers the option to opt for 100% of their charging electricity to be sourced from wind power. Similarly, opportunities from electrical providers allowing customers to choose to meet their EV charging needs solely through renewable energy are popping up in many areas.


Overall, the future of renewable energy powered EV chargers looks very promising, as EV charging companies are setting ambitious energy goals, forming partnerships with renewable energy companies, and offering new clean energy programs. I'm hoping that by the time I'm old enough to drive, most EVs driving on the road (including the one I wish to own) will truly live up to their "cleaner" and "environmentally friendly" labels though being fully powered by renewable energy.


Credit: https://www.facebook.com/divineenergiessolutions/





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