Union of Concerned Scientists
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More good news about electric cars in the U.S.: the emissions associated with the electricity used to charge them have fallen. Again. Based on the latest data on powerplant emissions from the EPA, an electric car on the road in the U.S. now has average emissions as low as an 80-mpg car. DON'T MISS: Electric cars cleaner than any gas-only car for 97% of U.S. drivers (Jun 2017) That figure is sales-weighted, meaning it takes into account where electric cars exist today in the U.S. But that 80-mpg average translates to emissions 10 percent lower than even last year's average, which was 73...
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U.S. government climate scientists restricted, sidelined, limited
Months into Donald Trump's presidency, it is clear the administration has worked diligently to downplay the role of science in setting policy on energy. Some moves to diminish scientists' roles have been more evident than others, but a new report details what has gone on behind the scenes. In...
Sean Szymkowski -
Electric cars are cleaner than hybrids in most places: mapped once again for your convenience
The question is a reasonable one: electric cars may be zero-emission, but what about the electricity to recharge them? While renewable energy is growing globally, burning fossil fuels is still the source of most electric power today. The good news is that in most areas of the U.S., the "wells to...
John Voelcker -
Challenging Arthur Little study on electric-car emissions: questionable assumptions
Transitions into new technologies always generate confusion and misinformation, and certainly that has been the case with modern electric cars. Buyers, automakers, and analysts debate their cost, suitability, real-world range, wells-to-wheels carbon footprint, and recyclability, among other issues...
John Voelcker -
Who leads, who lags in electric cars in U.S.? New survey names them
A Union of Concerned Scientists survey shows which states and carmakers lead in promoting electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
How much do electric cars really pollute, even without tailpipes?
Personal automobiles have given hundreds of millions of people the great luxury of a convenient and comfortable mode of transportation. But there's no escaping that manufacturing these vehicles, driving them for 10 years or more, and then disposing of them creates pollution that has a wide range of...
John Briggs -
The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes using Volkswagen's money to fund cleaner trucks.
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VW Joins Chrysler With 'Dirtiest Tailpipe' After Diesel Scandal Revealed
The Union of Concerned Scientists revises its carmaker emissions rankings in light of the Volkswagen diesel scandal.
Stephen Edelstein -
In Just One Year, Electric Cars Have Gotten Cleaner: How'd They Do That?
Electric cars have no tailpipe emissions, but their overall impact on the environment includes the electricity generated to recharge their batteries. The carbon emissions associated with that power vary greatly, depending on the local utility that provides it. Now an updated study from the Union of...
John Voelcker -
Hybrids A Better, More Cost-Effective Way To Cut Carbon Today, Study Says
The hydrogen fuel-cell cars being promoted as the future of zero-emission transport--aggressively by Toyota, slightly less so by Honda and Hyundai--generate quite a lot of controversy. Now a new analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests that the wells-to-wheels carbon emissions of a...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai-Kia Topples Honda For UCS 'Greenest Automaker' Title
Honda has long had the reputation of offering fuel-efficient, relatively green vehicles--but this year, it has lost the "Greenest Automaker" laurels that it's held since 1998 to an upstart: Hyundai-Kia. The latest award, detailed in a report that's now been issued six times by the Union of...
John Voelcker -
Coal Makes Electric Cars Bad? No, Plug-Ins Show Coal As Bad
Every so often, electric-car skeptics will attack the idea of using grid electricity to power a car by bringing up coal. "Yeah," the argument goes, "but you're just burning coal instead of gasoline in your electric car--so how's that any better?" There is, of course, a fair amount of science that...
John Voelcker -
The Union of Concerned Scientists thinks hybrid-electric vehicles are a good thing, because they use less gasoline. But the savings in gas cost from that improved gas mileage varies enormously, and now the group has quantified the results. In their annual Hybrid Scorecard this year, the UCS ranks hybrids on how much they reduce fuel consumption over comparable non-hybrid models. It's an easy comparison for cars like the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid or 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, since they're simply hybrid adaptations of regular gasoline models. But it gets more confusing for so-called...