Is a Plugin Really a Zero Emmission Vehicle? Nope.

We believe in electric vehicles (EVs). We believe in plugin electric hybrids (PHEVs).
But we don’t believe in “greenwashing.”
At Smart Driving Now we take a pragmatic approach to EVs. We look at technical specs. We do the math.
The amount of pollution you save by using an EV will depend upon where you live. In California, where electricity is generated without coal, you’ll pollute a lot less. In England, where coal generates a lot of electricity, the debate still rages. A four year-old CNET article cited the following stats. We’ll be talking about this a lot in the coming months.

“A conventional hybrid like the Toyota Prius–which generates electricity from the battery and heat coming off of the brakes–doesn’t get power from the grid. Thus, these high-mileage cars pollute less than regular cars but pollute more than those rare plug-ins.
Joe Romm, a former official with the Department of Energy turned author and clean-energy advocate, certainly sees it that way. In 12,000 miles of driving, Romm says, a gas-powered car will roughly produce 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide while a Prius might generate 6,000 pounds. A plug-in on average might emit 3,900 pounds. (Other pollutants include sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, products of the internal combustion engine.)
But in places where coal accounts for 80 percent or more of the electricity, the situation changes. There, a gas-powered car and a plug-in create about an equal amount of pollution, making the conventional hybrid the least polluting.”

April 28, 2006 10:00 AM PDT
Plug in your hybrid, pollute less?
By Michael Kanellos
Staff Writer, CNET News