by Bob Walsh
Carbon footprint is a tricky thing. You can honestly say that the OPERATION of an electric vehicle has a very low carbon footprint as opposed to a gas powered vehicle. The entire carbon footprint of the entire lifespan of the vehicle gets a little more tricky.
For one thing, charging an electric car is NOT a zero carbon operation if the power used is carbon fuel generated. In addition about 20% of a gas powered vehicles lifetime carbon footprint is generated in the production of the vehicle. That number is more like 35% for an electric vehicle due to the battery manufacturing process. Much of the lithium battery production for automobiles takes place in China and other places where their idea of pollution control during manufacturing is a lot more casual than it is here.
Another way of looking at it is that when comparing the manufacturing and subsequent operation of a good size gas vehicle against a small size electric vehicle, the break-even point is about 3 1/.2 years.
So, all those self-congratulatory assholes driving a Prius at 50 mph in the fast lane (car pool lane) who think they are saving the planet can go fuck themselves.
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