As of: February 2, 2024, 4:30 p.m
By: Simon Mones
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According to the Federal Environment Agency, electric cars are more climate-friendly than gasoline cars.
The advantage could increase with renewable energies.
Opinions differ on the question of whether electric cars are better for the climate.
The engine expert Fritz Indra sees the combustion engine as clearly ahead.
Depending on the initial situation, other studies see the electricians in the lead.
And in a study by the
Federal Environment Agency (Uba),
electric cars are significantly more climate-friendly overall than gasoline-powered vehicles.
With an accelerated expansion of renewable electricity generation, this climate advantage will continue to increase, Uba announced on Thursday.
“Overall, the battery-electric vehicle concepts prove to be a superior solution for all vehicle types and years of manufacture in terms of greenhouse effect and cumulative energy consumption,” says the report.
The analysis took into account that vehicles have an impact on the environment and climate not only during their use, but also during their manufacture and disposal.
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Electric cars are better for the environment – despite using fossil fuels
The production of electric cars is energy-intensive and requires materials such as cobalt, nickel and rare earths, the extraction of which can cause significant environmental damage.
Experts predict that demand for these critical raw materials for electric vehicles will rise sharply by 2050.
The electricity that powers electric cars currently only partially comes from renewable sources.
Therefore, in the past there have been critics who described electric cars as less environmentally and climate-friendly than combustion engines.
According to the Federal Environment Agency, electric cars are better for the climate.
© Michael Gstettenbauer/Imago
For the study commissioned by Uba, the
Heidelberg Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (ifeu)
compared the environmental impact of vehicles with alternative and conventional drives.
In addition to greenhouse gas emissions, energy, resource and water consumption as well as pollutant emissions into air, water and soil were also taken into account.
The investigation covered an overall assessment, including the manufacture of vehicles, fuels and power generation equipment.
The climate benefit of electric cars will increase to 55 percent by 2030
According to the results, electric cars that were registered in 2020 are around 40 percent more climate-friendly than gasoline vehicles.
By 2030, this value could rise to up to 55 percent, based on the expansion of renewable energies.
The climate advantage would remain even if the proportion of e-fuels for combustion engines produced with renewable electricity increased significantly in the next few years, according to the study.
When it comes to some environmental impacts, electric cars that were registered in 2020 still have disadvantages.
This applies in particular to impacts on water (high nutrient input) and soils (acidification).
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It is not until 2050 that electric cars are expected to be ahead of combustion engines in all areas examined.
The growing need for sometimes critical raw materials such as cobalt, nickel and lithium can be met in the long term through more recycling, according to Uba.
In its battery regulation, the EU provides specific guidelines for the recycling of critical battery raw materials.
From 2026, for example, around 90 percent of the cobalt used will be recycled.
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According to Uba, a vehicle tax that imposes a surcharge in the first year of registration for high CO₂ emissions could provide an incentive for more electromobility in Germany.
“This could be significantly more effective than the forgone purchase premium.” Nevertheless, factors such as avoidance, relocation and improvement are still important: “Every journey avoided saves electricity or fuel and protects people and the environment.”
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.