TESLA AND THE ENVIRONMENT
To what extent does Tesla actually benefit the environment?
Tesla has been marketed as the car of the future that will solve the world's energy crisis, but how green is it really?
Of course, all electric vehicles are zero-emissions and clean in the sense that they rely on electricity rather than fuel. But what fuels electricity? For the majority, coal. The national electricity grid is roughly 40 percent coal, 25 percent natural gas, 20 percent nuclear power, and about 10 percent renewable sources.
A large portion of electricity is generated by coal burning power plants like this one.
Tesla acknowledges this age-old battle between electric vehicles and coal-burning power plants and states that their electric battery is much more efficient than others of the past. While this is true (its official EPA miles-per-gallon equivalent is 89, far greater than a standard Toyota Prius), your personal emissions-per-mile still depends on where you live.
Tesla in West Virginia
Tesla in California
If you drive your Model S in West Virginia (where the power mix is 96 percent coal) you’re emitting 27 pounds of CO2 in a typical 40-mile day, about the same amount a conventional Honda Accord emits.
On the other hand, if you drive it in California, where more than half of the electricity is powered by natural gases, your Tesla is much more eco-friendly after all.
The disparities in emissions across different states proves that Tesla itself is not necessarily green, it depends on where you live and what powers your electric grid. The promise of a zero-emissions car lures consumers into thinking that they are an upstanding citizen saving the world. As UC Berkeley physics professor Richard Muller states, many people fall victim to this “EV superhero,” phenomenon:
“The principal value of electric vehicles and hybrids is that they allow upper-middle class and wealthy drivers to absolve themselves from their environmental sins. It also might get them tax breaks, free parking, allowance to drive in HOV lanes, and some street cred among their friends.”
In order to actually combat global warming, it is not enough to simply buy a Tesla product, you have to become knowledgable about where your energy is coming from and use as much renewable energy as possible. The best way to do this is to get a solar-panels and a home battery (which coincidentally you can buy from Tesla!) so that you can go completely renewable.