Electric Vehicles

Is a diesel cleaner than an electric car in Australia?

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The Driven

“My diesel dual cab is cleaner than electric vehicles”, said one of my drinking companions proudly. “Because in Australia electric cars are powered by electricity generated from coal.”

A couple of others nodded wisely while I just stared into my beer.

My friends decided that because of my unsupported pro electric car nonsense I should buy the next round.

This conversation occurred 18 months ago and although it didn’t seem right, I didn’t have the all the facts at hand – or even a very clear head!

It is a fact, however, that in Australia most of our electricity is currently supplied from coal fired power stations – but does this necessarily mean electric cars are worse for the environment?

By having a look at two important factors that differentiate electric cars from conventional vehicles we can learn which is the cleaner choice.

To read the full story on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

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