According to Lomborg’s op-ed, electric cars’ global-warming benefits are small:
It is advertised as a zero-emissions car, but in reality it only shifts emissions to electricity production, with most coming from fossil fuels. As green venture capitalist Vinod Khosla likes to point out, “Electric cars are coal-powered cars.”
The most popular electric car, a Nissan Leaf, over a 90,000-mile lifetime will emit 31 metric tons of CO2, based on emissions from its production, its electricity consumption at average U.S. fuel mix and its ultimate scrapping. A comparable diesel Mercedes CDI A160 over a similar lifetime will emit 3 tons more across its production, diesel consumption and ultimate scrapping.
The results are similar for the top-line Tesla car, emitting about 44 tons, about 5 tons less than a similar Audi A7 Quattro.
Lomborg is tweeting about his article this morning:
Stop our worship of the electric car. $1 cost gives $0.003 benefits. Not yet good. http://t.co/GeCezDiqZI pic.twitter.com/2tC3DUSqR5
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@Vagrunt @FreeCaledonia Well, I don't think we subsidized the Model T with $7,500? 🙂
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@FrankReinthaler Well, the $7,500 subsidy is a worship, when it only brings a benefit of $27 + 750 more dead each year
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@toxicpath No, http://t.co/JYh0b37H0v is based on 90K miles (150K km)
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@toxicpath @FrankReinthaler Yes, gas cars pollute & kill. But less than equal miles with EVs http://t.co/cY3D2MJ4Pp pic.twitter.com/Fmgt6nRlJ5
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@toxicpath Here is my detailed response debunking that book http://t.co/mL78fVIbSW
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@toxicpath Used 150,000km at US electricity mix
And "cherry pick"? U dislike their conclusion, but don't blame me for these facts— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
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@FrankReinthaler @toxicpath I'm all for public transport, but EVs kill almost twice what gasoline cars do. Pls don't just wave that away
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@FrankReinthaler Yes, EVs in Norway would kill fewer people. But Norway subsidize even harder at $10K, so still $1 cost for <¢1 benefit
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
@toxicpath @FrankReinthaler I show grid average bc that's reality for next decades. Obama's EIA: renewables now at 14%, and 17% in 2040.
— Bjorn Lomborg (@BjornLomborg) February 19, 2015
How will the electric car industry and its supporters respond?
Can't wait to see "we're all about the science" crowd's response to Lomborg take down of electric cars http://t.co/cT7VjbMu1l #tlot #tcot
— John Merline (@IBD_JMerline) February 19, 2015
Oh, probably with ad hominem attacks like this:
Bjorn Lomborg lies. He always lies. Todays USA today op ed re electric cars. Full of obvious lies.
— Pete Dominick (@PeteDominick) February 19, 2015
So obvious yet he can’t name even one.
Correction: We have edited our headline to reflect the fact that Lomborg is not an economist.
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