Do electric vehicles always produce less greenhouse gas than gasoline-powered cars?
No
The pollution footprint of electric vehicles is determined by how the electricity that powers them is generated and the efficiency of the vehicles. In the U.S., 60% of electricity production is from burning fossil fuels (compared to 58% globally), and coal and gas generation are most likely to be “on the margin” — that is, when an EV is plugged in, coal and gas are the primary fuel sources generating that charge. Additionally, charging efficiency and battery life are reduced in colder temperatures by up to 20% and 60% respectively, which means that EVs are less “green” in cold regions. In places like Minneapolis, where winters are cold and coal is the marginal source of electricity generation, driving a mile in an EV in the winter can be worse for the climate than driving a gasoline car.
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