Does Electric Car Produce Carbon Monoxide? (Emission Level)

Today, most people are aware of carbon monoxide and its downsides. It is one of the main causes of air pollution. Also, it is very toxic to the environment. A gas-powered car is a small factory on wheels when it comes to carbon monoxide. But where are electric cars in this?

Do electric vehicles produce carbon monoxide? Usually not. Complete electric vehicles don’t produce carbon monoxide. But, electric vehicles with secondary gasoline drives produce some carbon monoxide.

But it is not all that simple. We need to take a look into the production process. Also, an important question is how carbon monoxide levels are distributed across the US. We will answer this and many more in the article below. 

Do Electric Cars Produce Air Pollution?

Electric vehicles have their issues when it comes to overall generated air pollution. Researchers found that the process of manufacturing electric cars is not so clean. It causes more greenhouse gasses than producing a gasoline car. 

This results from all the rare materials and metals used to produce electric cars. Most of them are difficult to mine and process. Getting graphene, lithium, cobalt, and other rare materials is complicated. The process releases a lot of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.

Ultimately, making an electric vehicle creates a lot of carbon monoxide emissions. Materials used for lithium-ion batteries are also one of the main culprits. Changing the technology and materials for battery manufacture is one of the top priorities. If renewable materials do make a good replacement, that would greatly impact the whole production.

See Also: How Much Silver Is In An Electric Car?

Emission Levels of Different States In the US

This information can be viewed from two angles: 

• Annual carbon emission per capita – Vermont is in first place with 104.484 metric tons in this category. In second place is North Dakota, with 74.264 metric tons
• Total annual CO2 emission – Texas is in the clear first place with 706.5 metric tons. In second place is California with 358.6 metric tons, followed by Florida with 226.6 metric tons

Here’s a table of the total annual CO2 emission for every state in the US:

Why Are Emissions From Electric Vehicles So Different Across States?

Emissions vary from several factors that impact the emission. The main factor is how the transport is organized. If mass transit is well developed, then people will use cars less. Long commute rides demand a lot of car use. Bad or no connection between cities, and inside them, also leads to a lot of car use.

What Is Your Vehicle Carbon Footprint?

Several factors impact your car’s carbon footprint. Most of us think it is the amount of carbon emitted from the tailpipe. But it includes all the processes needed to get gas to your car. Whether drilling, refining, or pumping gasoline and diesel, all those operations create and release carbon monoxide. And they are all a part of the carbon footprint of every car. 

Check Out What is the Carbon Footprint of the Electric Car?:

Pounds of co2 Per Gallon of Gasoline

Each gallon of gasoline, when burned, produces around 20 pounds of carbon monoxide.

What If All Cars Were Electric?

Even if all cars were electric, that would leave a big problem with carbon dioxide and its emissions. Fossil fuels are the primary source for the production of electric power. There is a need for a significant switch to renewable energy sources. But there is a question: would the electricity generated by solar and wind sources be enough?

Mining and producing all the required materials for electric vehicles and wind turbines harm the environment. Both cars and turbines are heavily dependent on lithium. Finding a different way to get the lithium, or to find a substitute, should be a priority. 

Today, the electricity grid is powered mainly by coal and fuel-burning plants. The greener option is still very expensive and dependable on fossil fuels. Conventional power plants are still irreplaceable.

Where Are Electric Cars In the USA Located?

In first place is California, with 39% of cars registered as electric. In second place is Florida with a mere 6,7%, followed by Texas with 5.4%.

Are Electric Vehicles Worth It?

Only time will tell. Finding a solution for the materials and their processing is a priority. Finding and processing lithium and cobalt is expensive. Also, the process of utilizing them is harmful to the environment. Whole ecosystems are destroyed in the process. Some steps are in the right direction, but it is still insufficient. 

The main problem is with batteries and their capacity and production. The technology still doesn’t offer significant autonomy for electric cars. Planning and building the charging network is a must. That is a key to the massive use of EV cars. It needs to cover the whole road network. 

 Also, there is a question about the materials needed for electric vehicles. Lithium and cobalt are rare materials and are recyclable. The only problem is how to use recycled materials. They cannot make a new battery for EV cars. Recycled lithium and cobalt are used for EV networks and electricity storage only.

There are a lot of open questions that time will have to find an answer.

Real-World Cost of Fueling EVs and ICE Vehicles

This is where we come to one of the main issues with electric vehicles. Conventional vehicles are still cheaper to fuel up than EVs. But we will cover all the costs so that you can see the problem.

Charging a car at home demands a home charger. A Level 1 charger costs around $600, and a Level 2 is $1,600. Installation of a Level 2 charger requires the services of an electrician. Level 1 charger takes around 20 hours to charge a car. Level 2 charger is much faster, and it takes them around 6 hours for a full charge. 

Driving a Tesla Model 3 or Nissan Leaf for 100 miles costs around $13 with mostly commercial chargers. The same mileage for gasoline vehicles costs around $8.5. 

Yearly costs will better show the difference. We will assume that an average driver travels around 12,000 miles per year. Charging an electric vehicle will cost around $1,550. The fuel for gasoline vehicles will end up costing around $1,000.

We also didn’t mention the price of charging at home. It all depends on when the car is charged and where. Also, commercial chargers are frequently used and are not always easy to find. 

Related Questions

Final Considerations

Finding a way for a cleaner way to travel is a goal. The main problem remains the production of electricity. Replacing fossil fuels with electric power in cars demands a lot of power. Finding a sustainable way to lower emissions related to power production is a priority.

Electric cars will only remain a good idea without finding a way to make clean energy. We need a global change in power production. Renewable sources should be prioritized if we want a sustainable EV manufacturing process.

We will continue covering sustainable energy topics, so follow us!