Diesels greener than battery cars, says Swiss gov report
The main finding of this study is that the impact of a Li-ion battery used in [a battery-powered car] for transport service is relatively small. In contrast, it is the operation phase that remains the dominant contributor to the environmental burden caused by transport service as long as the electricity for the [battery car] is not produced by renewable hydropower …
The report goes on to say that if your modern Diesel automobile consumes less than 3.9L/100km, it’s actually better for the environment than an electric car that gets its electricity from non-renewable sources. Many modern Diesels fall below that threshold, notably those from VW and Ford.
Victoria, where electricity is amongst the dirtiest in the world, is about to start a trial of electric cars.