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Are electric cars really green?
I know electric cars don’t use gas, but how does the environmental impact of charging a car compare to filling one up with gas? Is it really that different?
Andrew Koole · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Good for you for thinking this through. While it’s true that
electric vehicles (EVs)
can negatively impact the environment, EVs are definitely the greener choice when compared to gas-powered cars.
First off, let’s talk about fuel, which is used to power internal combustion engines and to produce electricity, both of which are responsible for CO2 emissions. However, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), EVs are still typically responsible for fewer emissions than new gasoline cars.
Manufacturing an EV also has more of an initial environmental impact than manufacturing a gas-powered car because of its lithium battery. However, the impact caused by its production pales in comparison to the impact of its use: one study compared the impact of a Nissan Leaf over its entire lifespan to the same impact of an average internal combustion European vehicle and a Toyota Prius hybrid. The internal combustion vehicle created well over twice as many emissions as the Leaf, while the Prius emitted about 50% more CO2 than the Leaf.
The environmental benefits of an electric car are clear. The financial benefits are less so.
Recharging generally costs less than filling a tank with gas, and EVs require less maintenance than gas cars.
While there are a lot of environmental benefits to an electric car, buying one can cost you more financially, as initial prices and car insurance are still more expensive on average for electric vehicles.
You can’t do much about the price of an EV at the dealership, but you can save on car insurance by shopping with Jerry
. After the 45 seconds it takes you to sign up, Jerry will present competitive rates from more than 50 top providers. The average Jerry user saves $887 a year.View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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