It is not all about the Electric car. In countries Like AU and China that still generate much of their power with coal. The electric car is far more polluting that an ICE especially CO2 which they still have no way to remove from Flue gases. (AU still generates 73% of power with coal one of the highest % in world) Battery efficiency is also a Major problem especially at HIGH charge and discharge rates. Till these problems are solved Hybrids are the answer. Especially like those from Honda and Toyota that have larger battery packs and bigger motors ( 50 to 100 HP) Unfortunately sales of these were down 2017 to 2018 about 5 % which was a little higher than ICE vehicles in general. Toyota is still selling over 1.45 M Hybrids a year. This is significant especially when you consider that Larger models like the Camry Hybrid , 100HP electric, have overtaken the Prius about 60 to 70 HP electric. The Prius started at less than 35 Electric HP.
JMO pure EVs will be the answer but that is 5 possibly 10 years away. Till then Hybrids will be the solution. ( non plug in) The Electric motors will increase in size. The ice motors will decrease in HP and become smaller generating far less CO2 and other pollutants per KWH than grid power.
“In fact, around 86 percent of our electricityis generated from these fuels types, with 73 percent from coal and 13percent from natural gas.1 Around the world it’s much the same, with fossil fuels beingused for electricity, heating and powering vehicles.”
https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/about-energy/energy-in-australia.html
The article is 2015 but the grid is large and changes slowly. I am sure Natural gas has replaced Coal at a few plants in the last few years but not many. The US has the highest Coal to NG conversion in the world, In Spite of Trump, that is because Fracking is producing surpluses of NG. Not concern for CO2
Coal produces about twice the CO2 as NG per KWH produced. More than 60% of the energy from NG is from burning Hydrogen which creates Water. Un fortunately this water reduces the amount of energy available because of the energy absorbed that is used to evaporate the water. This is why condensing furnaces are so efficient. For EVs to succeed we need an abundant source of clean cheap electric power. And much better batteries at high charge and discharge rates. ( Efficiencies of over 95% are on the market today but this is at very low Charge and discharge rates) It will come but not in the next few years.
Every one that is excited about EVs. Should read what actual Users are saying about efficiencies. Here is one that talks just about battery charging curret. It is a Tesla site and they admit they edit the content.
https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/about-energy/energy-in-australia.html Then multiply these numbers by what Tesla claims is running efficiency about 85% I am sure that does not include full throttle accelerations.
