The reality of the « zero-emission car »

«Zero emission». This is the affirmation used by the French car’s manufacturer Renault to promote its electric vehicles’ range.

The electric car is the symbol of tomorrow’s transports. Concurrently to thermic cars, electric vehicles offer the same services but also allow to avoid the use of petrol or gasoline, which is a convincing argument because today we all aspire to drive in a environmentally-friendly way. In the United Kingdom, the use of the slogan “Zero emission” is prohibited for advertising campains.

Indeed, analyzing the carbon dioxide emissions of a car does not mean taking into account the sole emissions caused by the use of this car: the fabrication and the demolition of a car, but also the fuel production do take part in the global carbon dioxide emissions. All too often, these elements are forgotten, which distorts the results of the studies.

Considering the electric car life cycle, is it possible to maintain that electric vehicles contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions?

The “polluting somewhere else” syndrome

“For me, the best argument in favor of the electric car is that it is environmentally-friendly. Indeed, it is not polluting in the city centre.” This is the common answer to the question of the principle contribution of electric vehicles in our cities.

But if we look into the question, we realise that it is necessary to nuance this affirmation. If we know that the electric car is polluting but not in the city centres, where do electric vehicles reject greenhouse gas?