As the auto industry awaits EPA’s proposal for further emissions rules for internal combustion vehicles, an environmental advocacy group argues that the same standards should be applied to electric vehicles.
The EPA has previously rewarded gasoline cars and trucks for being more fuel efficient, but current standards consider all electric vehicles to be CO2-zero and therefore discourage efficiency, the Council said. United States on the Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE) note in One blog post.
Tesla Charger
Electric vehicles don’t produce “exhaust” emissions, but calculating how much electricity they consume can reduce overall emissions while reducing strain on the grid. With current average EV efficiency of 3.4 mph, 300 million EVs would add 1.2 million gigawatt-hours to annual electricity demand, enough to power nearly 113 million homes. , the group said, adding that increasing efficiency to 4.3 mph would reduce demand by 230,000 gigawatt hours.
Efficiency versus weight in 2023 model year EVs (via ACEEE)
ACEEE argues that the performance of the 2023 model year electric vehicles sold in the US is between 1.9 and 4.2 mph and some models may need improvement. Volvo XC40 Recharge is singled out in this analysis. Volvo’s 2.5 mph, which ACEEE analysts equates to 154 grams of CO2 emissions per mile driven, is still below the 347 grams/mile average for new cars, but more than other electric vehicles.
The team claims that a performance boost to 3 mph, which other electric vehicles of similar weight has achieved, will reduce the XC40 Recharge’s overall CO2 emissions by 129 grams per mile. The Charger XC40 2024 is receiving some updates, with efficiency due to improvement.
Volvo XC40 Recharge 2023 refurbished (international specifications)
Excess weight is also mentioned, as the analysis notes that the XC40 Recharge weighs almost 5,000 pounds, which is not surprising considering the extra weight of the battery pack. In fact, the current rules are subsidizing more, Electric utility vehicles are more beneficial—a point we have emphasized before. Other groups also have express concern that all this added weight will affect safety for others.
It’s time to question the effectiveness of electric vehicles with the Biden administration expected to announce some initial goals towards stricter 2027-2032 rules for vehicles with internal combustion engines. Automakers favor stricter rules lasts until 2026. But will they support rules that consider the actual performance of electric vehicles? That remains to be seen.
