EVs could raise carbon emissions without clean energy, international study finds

By Alimat Aliyeva

Electric vehicles (EVs) have long been seen as a symbol of a greener, environmentally friendly future, but a new international study challenges the idea of their unconditional "greenness", Azernews reports.

Researchers from the University of Auckland and Xiamen University have discovered that in countries heavily reliant on "dirty" energy, such as coal, oil, or gas, electric vehicles may not reduce, but rather increase carbon dioxide emissions.

The study, which analyzed data from 26 countries over 15 years, concludes that if a nation’s power grid is primarily powered by fossil fuels, the carbon emissions generated from charging electric vehicles can actually be more harmful to the climate than using gasoline-powered cars.

The study’s key finding is that electric vehicles only begin to significantly reduce emissions when nearly half of a country's electricity comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power. Currently, the global average is about 30 percent.

In countries with high emissions from fossil fuel-based power generation, the growing sales of electric vehicles may paradoxically lead to an increase in the overall carbon footprint. The combined environmental impact of battery production and charging EVs from coal or gas-powered grids has a cumulative effect that undermines the potential climate benefits.

"Electric vehicles are not a universal solution. Without simultaneous progress toward renewable energy, their environmental advantages are limited," said Professor Stephen Poletti, one of the study's co-authors.

However, there is some positive news. In countries where the share of clean energy is high, such as New Zealand (where over 80 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources), electric vehicles genuinely improve the situation. But on a global scale, the energy infrastructure has not yet kept pace with the rapid growth of the battery-powered vehicle fleet. In 2022, over 10 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide, highlighting the need for urgent infrastructure adaptation.

The study emphasizes that to make transportation truly sustainable, it is crucial not only to promote the purchase of electric vehicles but also to accelerate energy reform. This includes increasing the share of green energy in the grid, developing energy storage solutions, modernizing the electricity grid, and embracing smart urban planning. Without these steps, increased demand for electricity could exacerbate reliance on dirty energy sources, worsening the climate situation.

This research calls for a more holistic approach to sustainability—recognizing that the environmental impact of electric vehicles depends on the entire energy ecosystem in which they operate. The future of transportation may not just depend on EVs alone, but on a concerted effort to transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems globally.