Are you an environmentally conscious person who wants to purchase an electric vehicle but doesn’t want to contribute to CO2 emissions? If so, we have got you all covered.
According to a research associate at the MIT Energy Initiative, an average EV with a 66 kWh battery requires around 8 gallons of oil or 70 pounds of coal to charge an electric car fully.
This article will explain the fossil fuel usage of electric vehicles. You will also learn about different states’ fossil fuel usage per kWh. So, keep reading to know if you contribute to making this world less polluted!
What Is Your Vehicle Footprint?
A vehicle footprint means the amount of Carbon dioxide that is being released by it. An average passenger automobile emits 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year. It depends on the usage of fuel, gas, and electricity. The fuel usage depends on other minor factors like the size, vehicle condition, track, etc.
You can also calculate it by the amount of gasoline you use daily. 1 Gallon of Gasoline, weighing around 6 Pounds, produces approximately 20 pounds of CO2.
Carbon Footprint of Electric Car Batteries vs. Gasoline Vehicles
Electric cars’ carbon footprint is significantly less than gasoline vehicles, but things are more complex. Creating electric cars, especially their batteries, requires a lot of fossil fuel burning. The electricity being produced in most parts of the world also involves the burning of fossil fuels, which causes the emission of CO2.
EV Batteries Carbon Footprint
The batteries require tons of raw materials like lithium, manganese, cobalt, graphite, steel silver, and nickel. These are made in large factories, generally working on energy produced by burning the raw material. The mining of raw materials also causes the emission of CO2. According to research, these factors add 40% more carbon gasses than gas-powered car production.
Chagrin EV batteries have electricity produced by burning fossil fuels in most parts of the world. As mentioned above, an average of 6 barrel oil or 85 pounds of coal is required to charge a 66KWh EV battery fully.
Gasoline Vehicles Carbon Emissions
Two different factors include the carbon footprint of gasoline vehicles. Gasoline generates power for the engine and manufacturing. An average car produces 8 to 10K grams of CO2 per gallon. The manufacturing emission cannot be accurately estimated since it depends on many minor and major factors. Its overall CO2 emission is a lot more than EVs.
According to the United States environmental protection agency, an average passenger vehicle emits 411 grams of CO2 per mile. However, it can vary depending on the car’s and road’s conditions, etc.
Why Does Electricity Have More Carbon Footprints In Other States?
Electricity has different carbon footprints from one state to another. This variation is due to the method being used for electricity creation. Electricity generated by fossil fuels like Coal or natural gas has a very high carbon footprint, but electricity generated from wind or water causes significantly fewer Carbon emissions.
It all comes down to the method used to produce electricity in your state. Here is a chart to show you the average Carbon Dioxide emissions per kWh being produced in different states in 2020.
| State | Pounds of Carbon Dioxide Emissions per kWh produced |
| Alabama | 98.3 |
| Alaska | 36.0 |
| Arizona | 80.1 |
| Arkansas | 54.7 |
| California | 303.4 |
| Colorado | 79.9 |
| Connecticut | 33.8 |
| Delaware | 12.5 |
| District of Columbia | 2.4 |
| Florida | 207.6 |
| Georgia | 116.6 |
| Hawaii | 14.9 |
| Idaho | 19.4 |
| Illinois | 169.9 |
| Indiana | 154.3 |
| Iowa | 65.7 |
| Kansas | 57.8 |
| Kentucky | 101.9 |
| Louisiana | 183.3 |
| Maine | 13.5 |
| Maryland | 48.1 |
| Massachusetts | 52.3 |
| Michigan | 136.8 |
| Minnesota | 78.4 |
| Mississippi | 63.1 |
| Missouri | 108.7 |
| Montana | 26.2 |
| Nebraska | 46.5 |
| Nevada | 36.2 |
| New Hampshire | 12.4 |
| New Jersey | 83.8 |
| New Mexico | 45.2 |
| New York | 143.4 |
| North Carolina | 106.5 |
| North Dakota | 54.3 |
| Ohio | 185.6 |
| Oklahoma | 83.7 |
| Oregon | 37.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 193.2 |
| Rhode Island | 9.8 |
| South Carolina | 63.5 |
| South Dakota | 14.9 |
| Tennessee | 83.3 |
| Texas | 624.0 |
| Utah | 57.4 |
| Vermont | 5.4 |
| Virginia | 98.2 |
| Washington | 68.4 |
| West Virginia | 76.9 |
| Wisconsin | 87.0 |
| Wyoming | 55.6 |
How Much Fossil Fuel Does It Take To Generate A Kilowatt of Electricity?
The fossil fuel required to generate one Kilowatt of electricity varies from one type to another. Here is a table showing the type and the amount of fossil fuel needed to create one Kilowatt of electricity as stated by the U.S energy information administration.
| Type of Fossil Fuel | Amount Needed | Electricity Generated |
| Coal | 1.12 pounds | 1kWh |
| Natural Gas | 7.36 cubic feet | 1kWh |
| Petroleum Liquids | 0.08 gallons | 1kWh |
| Petroleum coke | 0.82 pounds | 1kWh |
How Is Electricity Produced?
Most countries generate electricity from natural gas, nuclear energy mix, and coal. However, other sources such as wind, hydropower, solar power, biomass, current, and geothermal are also used to produce energy. Let’s look at the electricity generation process of some of its significant sources like gas, coal, and water.
Gas Powered Electricity
Gas is indeed a significant fossil fuel that can be converted into electricity. This method generates heat by burning gas, which rotates a turbine. This turbine’s rotation spins a generator, which produces electricity.
Hydroelectric Power Plants
In a hydroelectric plant, the kinetic energy of the water flowing down the dam rotates a turbine. The generator transforms the mechanical power of the turbine into electricity. This electric energy is then passed through several transmission processes before reaching you.
Check Out the Production of Electricity from Water Energy:
Coal-Fired Electricity
The process starts by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam. The steam is used to rotate with colossal pressure. The rotation of the turbine spins a generator which causes electricity production. The moisture is liquified again and sent to the boiler to continue the process.
Future of Sustainable Electric Vehicles
The future of sustainable electronic vehicles looks secure. As the climate change problem is getting severe, more and more people are shifting towards EVs to stop the release of harmful gases. The EV’s compound annual growth rate is expected to be 16.84% from 2022 to 2027, with its estimated market worth up to US$846.70bn.
Electric vehicles are the future since there are so many more batteries in many aspects than gasoline. They require less maintenance. EVs are very comfy and quiet as compared to gasoline vehicles. You can charge them at your home and even keep a solar panel to generate energy, making it accessible. Last but not least, they are environmentally friendly.
FAQs
Is charging an electric car cheaper than gas?
Charging electric vehicles is cheaper than gas, but it depends on several factors. The primary reason is the fluctuation of fuel or gas prices due to supply and demand. Electricity is very cheap compared to them, mainly if you use home charging with a Level 1 charger. It offers the lowest price, but the charging speed is slow.
When does the battery give off the most gas?
The battery gives off the most gas when the cell voltage reaches 2.35 VPC. Half of the electrical energy causes the water to divide into its components, Oxygen, and Hydrogen. Due to this, the gas percentage is highest at this moment.
Is Tesla friendly to the environment?
Tesla vehicles are considered environmentally friendly as their CO2 emission per mile is very low. According to the Tesla impact survey, in 2020, they sold 0.5 Million EVs, which helped avoid 5 Million metric tons of carbon gasses emissions.
How much carbon dioxide is produced when a gallon of gasoline is burned?
Burning a gallon of gasoline produces 8887 grams of carbon dioxide, nearly equal to 20 pounds. A regular gasoline gallon weighs around 6 pounds, and there is 87% carbon dioxide.
Final Considerations
Electric vehicles produce very few carbon gasses as compared to gasoline vehicles. Electric cars can significantly help keep the environment safer than gasoline vehicles. It would be best to remember that its carbon footprint largely depends on its creation, especially battery manufacturing.
You should also keep the method of electricity creation in your mind. This detailed guide also contains data on the fossil fuel used for generating electricity per Kilowatt in different states. The difference is based on the source of electricity production, like wind, water, or coal.
