From Electric Vehicle Society.
Do electric vehicles still make sense on a dirty grid?
One of the most common myths about EVs is that they are only clean if the electricity grid is already clean. But the real answer is more interesting.
In this Mini Briefing, Julien Lavalley of Electricity Maps explains how the emissions behind EV charging vary by country, province, state, time of day, and electricity mix. Using real-world grid data, he shows why EVs are cleaner than combustion vehicles over their lifetime — and why charging time can still make a difference.
You’ll see examples from Canada, the United States, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, California, and other regions, with a focus on carbon intensity, grid decarbonization, renewable energy, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, and battery storage.
Explore Electricity Maps here:https://www.electricitymaps.com/Live map:https://app.electricitymaps.com/map
Chapters
0:00 Can an EV Be Clean on a Dirty Grid?
1:07 What Electricity Maps Measures
1:43 EVs vs Combustion Over a Lifetime
2:33 What Grid Carbon Intensity Means
4:14 Why Emissions Change by Region and Time
5:42 Live Demo: California, Solar, and Battery Storage
8:19 Alberta’s Grid and Wind Variability
9:58 Canada Examples: Alberta vs Ontario
12:30 Best and Worst Charging Times
14:07 How Cleaner Grids Make EVs Cleaner
16:13 Key Takeaways
17:10 Vehicle-to-Grid and Future Potential
Keywords
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About EV SocietyEV Society is a Canadian non-profit organization helping drivers understand electric vehicles, charging, batteries, ownership, and the transition to cleaner transportation.
