Driving electric vehicles: As green as the grid

As demand for mobility continues to rise accompanied by environmental and energy problems, electric vehicles (EVs) have been heralded as imminent long-term solutions to sustainable transport electrification. Battery electric vehicles in particular offer zero tailpipe emissions. However, they can only be considered as true greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigating option if the electricity used to charge their batteries is generated through low carbon technologies. This paper deals with the influence of the energy mix for the effective contribution of EVs in carbon emission reduction. Moreover, it compares the life cycle of the CO₂ emissions in electric vehicles powered with coal dominated and renewable energy mix. The same assessment has been done to comparable conventional petrol cars. The factors affecting the energy consumption of electric vehicles and the impacts of vehicle electrification on an existing grid and cost have also been discussed. The discussion on this paper is based on the energy mix of 15 African countries in general and Ethiopia in particular.