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G_Funk_Error t1_ir5fl3b wrote

Reply to comment by futuredayscan in How does everyone feel about folks charging their electric vehicle with the power cord on the sidewalk? I want an EV but also want to be a considerate neighbor. Pic is not JC, just an example I found online. by peastu

Except the electric comes from a plant likely burning fossil fuels so…..kinda nets out

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fireballx777 t1_ir5i5yp wrote

Not really. The plants generating the electricity are a lot more efficient at producing electricity from fuel than an individual car engine. There's some efficiency loss due to transmission and storage, but the net effect is less overall fuel burned. Furthermore, having the fuel burning consolidated to a single spot makes it a lot easier and more effective to scrub the output and reduce the level of air pollution generated.

Admittedly, it's not completely black-and-white -- battery production requires mining of rare earth metals, and that has its own Pandora's Box of environmental issues. But I would argue that the net effect of switching to an electric vehicle is positive.

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mikevago t1_ir5i5vs wrote

Right, but even if that were true (a fair amount of NJ's power is nuclear or solar), the $6 of electricity it takes to charge a car is using a lot less fossil fuels than a full tank of gasoline.

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