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New Government Study Shows PHEV Use Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Oil Use

July 20th, 2007 | Posted in: Environment, Research

Yesterday the Electric Power Research Institute and the National Resources Defense Council released a comprehensive assessment which found that widespread use of plug-in electric vehicles (PHEV) could be expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve ambient air quality.

The 3 key findings:

By 2050, 450 million tons less greenhouse gas would be produced.
The power grid can handle it: assuming a 60% market share of these vehicles, they will only use 7 - 8% of the grid’s power
By 2050, 3-4 million barrels per day less oil will be consumed

Here is the official press release.

Comprehensive Greenhouse Gas report is here.

The event in Washington, was attended by Tony Pozawatz, GM Volt Vehicle Line Chief. He confirmed GM’s commitment to building the Volt, but was still vague on release date and cost.

It is this author’s opinion that this study is extremely important, because of concerns that using cars like the Volt would simply shift CO2 generation from the car to the electric power plants, and simply shift the burning of fossil fuels form the point of he vehicle to those same power plants. The study however indicates that it will not simply be a shift, but an overall major net benefit.

Once again it is clear we are at a major inflection point in automotive history, and the history of humankind.

Special kudos to GM-Volt.com user ‘pwhiseheart’ who broke this story on our forum yesterday.

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Posted by: Lyle

21 Responses to “New Government Study Shows PHEV Use Will Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Oil Use”

Matt986 Says:
July 20th, 2007 at 11:15 am

So… when a volcano like Mt. St. Helens erupts and dumps more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than mankind has since the industrial revolution….

Will we still feel like we’re saving the world?
kent beuchert Says:
July 20th, 2007 at 11:53 am

This study is just plain silly in its assumptions. To assume that plug-ins will not have been replaced by all-electrics by 2050 is totally absurd, as is its other assumption that only 60% of the private vehicles will be electrified.
Steven B Says:
July 20th, 2007 at 1:27 pm

I don’t believe in all-electrics. I think that the whole range-extending electric design of the Volt is the best out there. I say that due to the weight and cost of batteries when compared to an ICE or fuel cell. What excites me about plug-in cars, though, is the fact that it is likely to be integrated into the electric grid as a power bank that can cost-effectively store intermittent renewable energy. There are studies out there that state that V2G technology with electric hybrids can allow us to use 100% renewable energy in the future. So what’s really cool, is that the CO2 and other pollution reduction estimates are probably extremely conservative. It’ll be awesome to power my Volt with the sun and the wind!
Matt986 Says:
July 20th, 2007 at 7:22 pm

I don’t like the idea of using my car as a power source for the grid if something happens…

.. I would really HATE coming out to my EV, and finding the battery DEAD because the grid ate my power!! Especially if I burned gas to generate that power!
Lyle Says:
July 20th, 2007 at 8:16 pm

I feel the study was important because one of the key premises of the Volt/PHEV is that it’s use will lead to a reduction in fossil fuel use, and greenhouse gas production. This is besides its being cool, an engineering marvel, and cheaper to run.

This assumption wouldn’t be true if the energy source was simply shifted from gasoline burning to natural gas and coal burning in the power plants. The study indicates this wont be the case.

The 60% by 2050 is very conservative..if there is greater adoption over a shorter timeline, then the gains will be even greater than the study predicts.

As per the Mt Saint Helen figure, as per geologist Dr. Steve Mattox, “volcanism produces about 3% of the total CO2 with the other 97% coming from man-made sources”.
link: http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/frequent_questions/grp6/question1375.html
Matt986 Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 11:04 am

Here’s the one I like to use, Lyle:

If we’re causing warming on our planet, why are the polar ice caps on Mars melting?

The sun is affecting our climate much more than we are. I believe ‘global warming’ is BS that has been adopted as a political belief by too many. Heck, back in the 70’s, it was ‘global cooling’!

I support the Volt as a way to reduce dependency on fossil fuels, primarily IMPORTED fossil fuels. I would like our nation to be completely self sufficient as far as energy goes, through reducing imports, and ‘growing’ our own. I’m interested in wind and solar generation, but I’m also interested in nuclear generation as well.

The thing I like about the Volt is that you don’t have to buy into ‘global warming’ to support it.
Matt986 Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 11:19 am

BTW, “volcanism produces about 3% of the total CO2 with the other 97% coming from man-made sources” has to be bunk

That would assume that there are only TWO sources of CO2: Man, and volcanoes.
Ziv Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 12:44 pm

Even environmental groups like Earth Save International admit that human sources of CO2 are a mere 3% of the total emitted by natural sources…

“Whereas human sources of CO2 amount to just 3% of natural emissions, human sources produce one and a half times as much methane as all natural sources.”

http://earthsave.org/globalwarming.htm

GreenHouseGasOnline or GHGonline.com says…
“Human Impact

Though the worldwide human population has now grown above 6 billion, our direct contribution to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations via respiration is relatively insignificant.”
http://www.ghgonline.org/co2resp.htm

CO2 levels are rising and we have some small part in it, but if you want to address greenhouse gases, you would be better off looking at methane. Even then, you have to address the melting of the ice caps on Mars, the thermal changes on Titan and other signs that there is a solar driver in this, as well.
Global warming is a fact, if we continue at this pace in 50 or 60 years we may be as warm as we were 800 years ago when they were raising crops in Greenland. That having been said, the hottest year we’ve seen was 1998 and we have seen a relatively stable series of global averages since.
Matt986 Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 3:14 pm

The numbers Ziv points out seem to be completely opposite the previous numbers. I think on both sides, there’s some bovine scatology going on. Regardless, if the planet is warming, I still personally doubt that mankind is having much of an affect on it.

And what is the ‘correct’ climate for this planet? What is the ‘correct’ average temperature?

The fact is, we don’t know.

We can look through history, and see warm periods, then cold periods, and fluctuations… but which one is ‘correct’?
Tim Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 7:03 pm

Actually, if you look at Al “green” Gore’s Co2 Chart in “An Inconvenient ½ Truth”, the Co2 levels rise AFTER the temperature rises. This is due to the slowly warming ocean due to periods of increased solar activity.

Anyway, all this talk about “global warming” is irrelevant. Replacing oil is all about economic growth, security and future prosperity. Pollution is always a bad thing anyway you slice it. Then again, so is mass deforestation to make way for biofuels, but that’s another story.
Mike G. Says:
July 21st, 2007 at 8:11 pm

Forget global warming. Believe or not it is irrelevant to the volt discussion, because the volt is the best way to go. More dependable cars, less break downs, cheaper to drive, cheaper to produce in the long run once the automakers ramp up production and battery companies start making millions. Who doesn\’t want a cheaper more dependable car?
Steven B Says:
July 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 pm

It would appear that everyone here agrees that reduced emissions is a marginal benefit of the Volt. I like its electric drive advantage. 232 ft-lb of torque at low rpm. Awesome!
bobbyg Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:36 am

Moving our transportation system to the electric grid is the ONLY way of reducing our dependence on imported oil. CAFE standards don’t do it because the number of miles driven is rising by 2% a year. Also moving to the electric grid is the ONLY efficient way to use solar and wind power for transportation.

Let’s get on with it and stop dillydallying. Ethanol and Hydrogen are dead ends.
Mario M Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 7:57 am

I think Tim hit the nail on the head when said: “Pollution is always a bad thing anyway you slice it.”

I don’t know about you guys, but I really hate it when the car in front of me at the traffic lights has visible exhaust fumes coming out of its tail pipe. I know the Vault will not completely eliminate exhaust fumes but I think it’s a step in the right direction.
Matt986 Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 12:32 pm

Bobbyg, I’m usually against ethanol… generating ethanol from corn is usually a net loss, or not enough gain.

However, cellulosic generation of ethanol CAN be more efficient, and can use biomass that is not used for food or feed stock.

Wind and solar power generation are great supplemental sources, but can’t really be relied on 100% of the time (given the sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day, and wind can be intermittent).

Don’t get me wrong, tho, when I get around to buying a house, I want a solar power generation system, and if there is something I can use for wind generation, I would like that as well… but I know I won’t be able to simply and completely disconnect from the grid.
kent beuchert Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:52 pm

Do you know what I see happening? Just as happened when the EV-1 was still out there on the LA streets, offices will install outlets for their employees, a stores and malls, and theaters and restaurants and coffee shops and grocery stores will do the same for their customers. With a 120V feed and stores/office buildings getting commercial electric rates, it would only cost them about 13 cents an hour, national average, to provide their employees, customers power, up to 70 cents for a full recharge, which would seldom be required. That’s such an great way to reward customers and save them from using gasoline at very little cost. Once one shopping mall does it, they all will have to, and there will always be one store or mall that is looking for ways to increase business to start the ball rolling. There is simply no way this won’t happen - sheer logic and economics demands that it will happen. It also means that even those without a place to plug in at home can get fully charged at work - probably for free. Thus the actual daily battery range might very well be closer to 100 miles than 40 miles. That’s my view of the future. You can imagine how attractive plug-ins would become - free driving for your normal day’s trips. That’s
irresistable.
Matt986 Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 6:58 pm

Kent, it would definitely be great if businesses provided some recharging like they were starting to do with the EV1. It would be a nice incentive to be able to stop in and top off while you shop, or while you’re at work. The further you lived from work, the more advantage you’d get!

Who knows what we’ll see over the next couple decades.
Dennis Says:
July 24th, 2007 at 11:48 am

I do not want to get into the debate of global warming, but really, who thinks an American company is going to be on the forefront of plug-ins?
Japan gets all of its electricity from nuclear power and hydroelectric, Why? Nationalism and isolationist tendencies.
Who’s will be on the forefront of plug-ins? Japan, not because they can make money on it, but because of nationalism and isolationist tendencies.
With a plug they can tell the oil companies (who are all “foreign devils”) to go straight to hell.
Plus, when was the last time an American auto manufacture actually truly embraced a new technology, without the government demanding it? Those fools cannot get out of their own way.
Every couple of years they come out with an ad campaign saying they have “turned the corner” and are producing quality vehicles. And every year they lose more market share to the Japanese, who keep reliably making great vehicles……..
GM-VOLT : Chevy Volt Concept Site » Blog Archive » Will Mass Use of Plug-in Cars Increase Air Pollution? Says:
February 27th, 2008 at 1:09 am

[...] have reviewed and discussed the EPRI study which suggested mass-adoption of electric cars can be handled by the power grid, will result in net [...]
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