• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
Overlooked Detail in Government's Electric Vehicle Scheme Could Have Seismic Effect on Our Environment

Overlooked Detail in Government's Electric Vehicle Scheme Could Have Seismic Effect on Our Environment

May 18, 2022
Trump Touts West Point Sports in Commencement Address

Trump Touts West Point Sports in Commencement Address

May 24, 2025
Corporate America Retreats From Gay Pride Events Across US Amid Trump DEI Crackdown

Corporate America Retreats From Gay Pride Events Across US Amid Trump DEI Crackdown

May 24, 2025
5 Issues That Might Decide Fate Of Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill In Senate

5 Issues That Might Decide Fate Of Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill In Senate

May 24, 2025
JORGE MARTINEZ: President Trump Is Powering America’s Economic Comeback

JORGE MARTINEZ: President Trump Is Powering America’s Economic Comeback

May 24, 2025
EXCLUSIVE: FCC Commissioner Wants Regulatory ‘Cows’ Lined Up ‘For The Slaughterhouse’

EXCLUSIVE: FCC Commissioner Wants Regulatory ‘Cows’ Lined Up ‘For The Slaughterhouse’

May 24, 2025
JUSTIN EVAN SMITH: Progressives Find Religion On The Shadow Docket

JUSTIN EVAN SMITH: Progressives Find Religion On The Shadow Docket

May 24, 2025
CASEY RYAN: Teachers’ Unions Are A Stain On Education

CASEY RYAN: Teachers’ Unions Are A Stain On Education

May 24, 2025
Trump Admin Reportedly Cleans House At National Security Council

Trump Admin Reportedly Cleans House At National Security Council

May 23, 2025
DOJ Lets Boeing Escape Felony Charges Over Deadly Plane Crashes

DOJ Lets Boeing Escape Felony Charges Over Deadly Plane Crashes

May 23, 2025
Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Hit Lowest Average Since 2021

Memorial Day Weekend Gas Prices Hit Lowest Average Since 2021

May 23, 2025
Trump Announces Major Job-Creating Deal That Biden Blocked On His Way Out The Door

Trump Announces Major Job-Creating Deal That Biden Blocked On His Way Out The Door

May 23, 2025
‘Ouch’: Ex-Obama Aide Saddened By ‘Depressing’ New Data Showing Trump Took His Old Boss’ Coalition

‘Ouch’: Ex-Obama Aide Saddened By ‘Depressing’ New Data Showing Trump Took His Old Boss’ Coalition

May 23, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Saturday, May 24, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home Commentary

Overlooked Detail in Government's Electric Vehicle Scheme Could Have Seismic Effect on Our Environment

by Western Journal
May 18, 2022 at 7:20 pm
in Commentary
235 17
0
Overlooked Detail in Government's Electric Vehicle Scheme Could Have Seismic Effect on Our Environment

LEEDS, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: A Hyundai Ioniq battery electric vehicle (BEV) charges at an Ionity GmbH electric car charging station at Skelton Lake motorway service area on April 26, 2022 in Leeds, England. According to a report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers And Traders, there were more new electric vehicle registrations in the UK in March 2022 than all of 2019. However, overall car sales slumped amid rising fuel prices and the car industry's supply chain problems. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Those wonderful electric cars we’re supposed to be driving have an environmental downside besides the dirty batteries.

It seems human behavior has gotten in the way of technology. Electric car advocates are pointing out a problem apparently nobody thought of: Tax breaks to buy electric cars will increase emissions.

You read that right.

Here’s the situation, according to recent peer-reviewed research published in Nature Sustainability.

People will take advantage of tax subsidies to buy electric vehicles. However, an electric vehicle needs to travel a certain number of miles in its lifetime — 28,069 to 68,160 — to provide enough emissions savings to offset the substantial environmental costs of its production.

The human behavior issue, the researchers wrote, is that the emerging pattern is for people to buy an electric vehicle as a second car. And households tend to put more mileage on their primary car.

So the electric vehicle grabs its tax break but languishes as a garage queen, unable to pay for its planet damage while the internal combustion primary car continues on its smoky way.

“It’s important to understand that federal EV subsidies as they exist today reward the purchase of electric cars, not the use of electric cars,” Dr. Ashley Nunes, lead author of the study, told Streets Blog.

“That’s not a good use of government capital,” according to Nunes, a research fellow at Harvard.

Building an electric vehicle produces some 70 percent more emissions than making a gasoline-powered car, Streets Blog reported. The bulk of the emissions comes from battery manufacturing.

To achieve enough mileage to amortize their environmental costs, households need to keep electric cars for five to 13 years, according to Nunes. Many don’t but scrap the vehicles, meaning their development ultimately harmed the environment.

In California, the typical electric car is only driven 5,000 miles per year.

With the average length of American car ownership at 6.61 years, Nunes said there need to be tax incentives for buyers to purchase used electric vehicles.

Electric cars may have a place in urban areas like Los Angeles or Denver with geography that invites problems like smog. Vehicle range and charging issues may not be a problem there.

But pushing untried electric vehicles while attempting to dismantle the fossil fuel network seems a bit strange. Indeed, it’s suspicious.

“Over the past 30 or 40 years, both political parties, but particularly Democrats, have talked a lot about climate change,” Nunes said.

“But instead of selling us electric cars, what they should be working towards is disincentivizing car ownership. … This notion that all we need to do is throw more money at green tech and no one needs to change anything else — to me, that’s really misguided.”

That’s the bottom line, ultimately — to get you out of your car.

I didn’t say that, conspiracy theory fans.

That’s from a Harvard-based researcher.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

Tags: AutomobileClimate Changeelectric-vehiclesenergyenvironmentalismtechnology
Is an electric car better for the planet than one powered by gas?

Completing this poll entitles you to our news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Yes: 11% (1 Votes)
No: 89% (8 Votes)
Share196Tweet123
Western Journal

Western Journal

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th