Your sleek, new electric Model 3 glides silently out the Tesla showroom. You're happy that you look great and are doing your part for the planet.Keep going, you'll need to drive 13,500 more miles (21 725 km) to do less damage to the environment than a gasoline-guzzling saloon.This is the result of Reuters' analysis of data from a model which calculates the lifetime emission of vehicles. It's a hotly contested issue that's gaining attention as governments around the globe push for greener transport in order to reach their climate goals.The model was created by the Argonne Laboratory in Chicago. It includes thousands of parameters, including the type of metals used in an electric vehicle (EV battery) and the amount of aluminum or plastic in a car.Argonne's Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Technologies model (GREET), is being combined with other tools to shape policy at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA), and the California Air Resources Board, which are the main regulators of vehicle emission in the United States.Jarod Cory Kelly from Argonne is principal energy systems analyst. He stated that EVs produce more carbon than cars with combustion engines. This is mainly because of the extraction and processing minerals used in EV batteries as well as the production of power cells.Depending on assumptions, estimates of the carbon gap when a car is sold for the first time and the point at which EVs reach "break-even" can differ widely.Kelly stated that the payback period depends on many factors, including the size of an EV's battery and the fuel economy of a gasoline vehicle. Also, Kelly explained that the way power is generated will affect how long it takes to recharge the EV.NORWAY'S WINNERReuters entered a number of variables into the Argonne modeling, which was used by more than 43,000 people as of 2021.This Tesla 3 scenario was intended for driving in the United States. 23% of electricity comes form coal-fired power plants. The Tesla 3 scenario had a 54 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery, and a cathode of nickel, cobalt, and aluminum.It was up against a gasoline-powered Toyota Corolla that weighed 2,955 pounds and had a fuel economy of 33 MPG. Both vehicles were expected to travel 173,151 miles over their lives.However, if the Tesla were driven in Norway, where almost all of its electricity comes from renewable hydropower, it would break even after only 8,400 miles.According to the Reuters analysis of data from Argonne's model, if the electricity used to charge the EV is entirely generated from coal, it would take you 78,700 miles just to reach carbon parity.Reuters' analysis revealed that a mid-sized EV saloon produces 47 grams of carbon dioxide per mile in extraction and production, which is more than 8.1 millions grams before it reaches its first customer.A comparable gasoline vehicle produces 32 grams per mile or more than 5 million grams.Michael Wang, senior scientist at Argonne's Energy Systems division and director of the Systems Assessment Center, stated that EVs generally emit less carbon over a 12-year period.Even in the worst scenario, where an EV is only charged from a coal-fired grid it would still produce an additional 4.1 million grams per year, while a comparable gasoline car would produce more than 4.6 million grams, according to Reuters analysis.'WELL TO-WHEEL'Reuters was told by the EPA that GREET is used to evaluate standards for vehicle greenhouse gases and renewable fuels, while the California Air Resources Board uses GREET in order to assess compliance with the state’s low-carbon fuel standard.The EPA also said that it used Argonne's GREET in developing an online program that allows Americans to calculate the emission from EVs based upon the fuels used to produce electric power in their region.The results of the Reuters analysis were similar to those of an IHS Markit life-cycle assessment of European electric and combustion-engine vehicles.According to Vijay Subramanian (IHS Markit's global director for carbon dioxide compliance), the "well-to wheel" study found that the average break-even point in carbon emission for EVs was between 15,000 and 20,000 miles depending on where you live.He stated that such an approach shows long-term benefits of switching to electric vehicles.Some people are less enthusiastic about EVs.Damien Ernst, a researcher at the University of Liege, stated in 2019 that an EV would need to travel 700,000. km before emitting less CO2 than a similar gasoline vehicle. Later, he revised his numbers.He now estimates that the break-even point might be anywhere from 67,000 km to 151,000 km. Ernst stated to Reuters that he didn't plan on changing those conclusions, which were based upon a different set data and assumptions than in Argonne’s model.Other groups continue to argue that EVs may not be cleaner or more environmentally friendly than fossil-fueled vehicles.The American Petroleum Institute represents more than 600 companies in oil and gas industry. It states on its website that "multiple studies have shown that different powertrains for automobiles produce similar greenhouse gas emissions over the life-cycle."The U.S. Department of Energy funds Argonne National Laborator, which is operated by the University of Chicago.
