Well to wheels: The impact of electric vehicles

Efficiency rates using
eco-friendly energy for EVs

Energy source 100% → Transportation & storage 80% → Battery 78% → Engine 76%

Energy sources for electricity production in the U.S.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are portrayed by the car industry and the government as one of the solutions to global warming. However, EVs can still have an impact on the environment depending on where their source electricity is coming from.

The first graph shows the average of the electricity production in a regular household. As expected, the warmer and lighter months of the year generate higher amounts of electrical power, whereas the months with shorter days generate less. In order to generate the average a household consumes per year it is necessary to have at least 20 panels, working at optimal conditions. It is calculated that transferring energy from a wind turbine field to the engine of and EV there is a lose of at least 25%.

How much energy does a solar panel produce per year? Each solar panel can be expected to produce between 400 and 600 kilowatt-hours per year
How much energy does the average U.S. household use? "In 2019, the average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,649 kilowatthours (kWh), an average of about 877 kWh per month".
How much electricity do you need to power a Tesla in order to drive 50 miles? Model S variants with the “High Amperage Charger” option can accept up to 17.2 kW of power for a maximum 52 miles of range per hour.

The second graph illustrates the main sources for electricity in the U.S. Coal burning and nuclear energy continue to produce more than half of the electrical energy we consume. Natural gas is on the rise along with hydroelectrical energy. On the other side of the spectrum we find that solar and wind power produce the least. Favorably, the wind power is also on the rise but a much slower pace.

In conclusion, the U.S. needs to increment the investment in renewable resources that make the transfer and storage of energy more efficient and significative subsidies for electrical based vehicles.

Electricity sources in the U.S.