Electric vehicles need an energy source

The subject of electric cars and mandates dominated the news recently, but we can’t transition to all-electric vehicles until we provide an energy source. 

Electricity is not a source of energy; it has to be created from nuclear, fossil fuels, windmills, solar panels, hydroelectric dams, etc. Once created, it is passed along to vehicles, lawnmowers, etc., so it is simply a conduit between an energy plant and a car. An electric car does not pollute while you’re driving it, but it does when you recharge it. Trading a gas-powered vehicle for an electric one doesn’t lessen pollution; it just moves the source from your car to the energy plant.

For example, Kentucky and West Virginia produce over 90% of their energy from coal, so an electric car there is essentially coal-powered. A Tesla in one of these states is actually polluting more than a gasoline-powered F-150. Electric cars in other states pollute less to varying degrees, determined by the energy source where they recharge.

The push for electric cars is well-intentioned (or political), but it’s not possible at this time to create enough electricity to power them all. It would require additional energy from nuclear plants, coal plants, or other fossil-fuel plants, and no one wants one of these plants in their backyard. Wind farms and solar panels contribute a small percentage of our energy needs, but until the entire country is blanketed by these ugly things, we’ll need to keep consuming fossil fuels.

DAVE MUNDELL

Sandpoint