I’ve wondered about this. In a region where coal power is not only consumed, but has a noticeable impact on the environment (hello East Tennessee Coal Ash Spill) one would think the cost–environmental as well as the bottom line–would be talked about more in conversations about electric vehicles. I’ve thought about greener alternatives to my 98 Tacoma, but the most planet friendly thing I can think of, is just to drive it as long as I can. -JBH

Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.

Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Ecology said.

However, in some cases electric cars still made sense, the researchers said.

Big impact

The team looked at the life-cycle impact of conventional and electric vehicles.

In essence, they considered how the production, the use and the end-of-life dismantling of a car affects the environment, explained co-author Prof Anders Hammer Stromman.

“The production phase of electric vehicles proved substantially more environmentally intensive,” the report said, comparing it to how petrol and diesel cars are made.

“The global warming potential from electric vehicle production is about twice that of conventional vehicles.”

via BBC News – Electric cars ‘pose environmental threat’.