"My brother was **faced with the choice of buying a new electric vehicle (EV) or a new petrol one**. When he first bought the EV, it had emitted more carbon because it takes more energy to manufacture the battery than it does to produce a combustion engine. So, the production of an electric vehicle does actually emit more carbon than a petrol car. But once we start driving them, the tables quickly turn. "Driving an EV emits much less carbon than petrol or diesel. **How much less depends on how clean our electricity is**. In the [[UK]] we get more than half of our electricity from low-carbon sources, and we’re now basically coal-free (this will still be true if the UK does open a new coal mine, because this coal will not be used for electricity production). If you’re running one in [[France]], [[Sweden]] or [[Brazil]], the benefits would be even greater. If you’re running one in coal-hungry [[China]] or [[India]], they’re less. But even in these countries, an EV is still better than a petrol one. ([Location 1641](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C3X6X695&location=1641))" --- **Tags** -- [[quotes]], [[climate-change]], [[electric-vehicles]], [[emissions]], [[coal-energy]], [[renewable-electricity]], **Source** -- [[260103133118 - B - Not the End of the World]]