The carbon footprint of an electric car - what is worth knowing about it?

Climate change is a problem in the modern world that governments and independent organisations are trying to prevent. A proposal to reduce carbon emissions is electric cars - after all, car transport is one of the main air polluters. However, it is worth comparing the carbon footprint of cars with different propulsion systems and trying to answer the question of which one is the greenest. So from this article you will learn what the carbon footprint of a car is and how to calculate it.

Carbon footprint of a car - what is it?

The very concept of a carbon footprint applies not only to vehicles, but also to any business or even to each of us. In general terms, a carbon footprint is defined as the sum of greenhouse gas emissions caused by a product, company or person over its entire life cycle. If we relate it to people, the carbon footprint would be the way we consume: how often we buy new clothes, the type and amount of meat we eat or the mode of transport we choose. Each of these activities leaves a carbon footprint behind us.

But what is it like for cars? The life cycle of a machine already begins with the extraction of raw materials and ends with its disposal. The calculation of the carbon footprint of automotive machinery therefore covers the entire production process, the lifetime and the management of its waste. Some companies use two methods to measure the carbon footprint of their products. One is 'cradle to grave' (just described) and the other is 'cradle to gate'. This method only takes into account the production process from the extraction of raw materials to the creation of the already finished product.

What makes up the carbon footprint of an electric car?

As mentioned earlier, the carbon footprint covers the entire life cycle of a product. In the case of an electric car, the extraction and distribution of fossil fuels is not considered, but the process involved in the generation and delivery of electricity. In the case of electrics, batteries (battery production and disposal) are also an issue.

This begs the question, is an electric car eco? Although the electric car does not produce exhaust fumes during the journey itself (there is no tailpipe), its carbon footprint may not be satisfactory enough to call it eco-friendly.

The carbon footprint of an electric car - how to measure it?

The carbon footprint of electric cars is measured in various ways. Some, in addition to the raw material extraction itself, the production, use and recycling of the product, also take into account emissions associated with road infrastructure. Sometimes the calculation of the carbon footprint also differs in terms of the greenhouse gases taken into account - whether it is carbon dioxide alone or also other gases.

This ratio is usually represented by a unit of carbon dioxide mass per functional unit of product. To make the carbon footprint calculation as accurate as possible, it is also necessary to take into account the country in which the electrics will be driven. In Poland, the electricity that powers the cars comes mainly from fossil fuels such as coal. This significantly increases the carbon footprint of such a car.

Carbon footprint of an electric car versus a petrol or diesel car - a comparison

Is the carbon footprint of electric cars significantly different from that of petrol or diesel cars? Statistics from the International Council on Clean Transporation (ICCT) report will help answer this question. The study analysed the carbon footprint of cars according to their propulsion system. The results were also broken down by area - there are different results in Europe, China, the USA and India. Nevertheless, they clearly show that the carbon footprint of electrics is smaller than that of combustion cars. It reduces emissions by around 66%, and if the electricity was sourced solely from renewable sources, the reduction in CO2 emissions could be as high as 81%.

The ICCT study also measured the carbon footprint of hydrogen cars and hybrids. As far as hybrids are concerned, the results were not satisfactory. Normal versions, as well as plug-in versions, emit a similar amount of emissions as petrol or diesel cars. For hydrogen cars, on the other hand, their environmental performance is related to the type of hydrogen used. Blue hydrogen is more harmful, while green hydrogen can compete with electrics.

Electric cars compare favourably with combustion cars in terms of carbon dioxide emissions. However, the aforementioned batteries prove to be a problem. Their production involves the extraction of lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt. The transportation of certain ores can itself be dangerous, and overexploitation of the mining area has negative environmental consequences.

Protecting the environment and preventing climate change has been a priority of recent times. We are also increasingly feeling the effects of air pollution, particularly in larger cities. Switching to driving an electric car can help reduce emissions, and it is the carbon footprint meter that can help analyse the phenomenon.