Electric cars are clean cars without any tailpipe emissions. Yes, but there’s one caveat: Unless they’re charged entirely on renewable energy, there are emissions associated with generating the electricity used to power their batteries. This map shows what fuel efficiency would be necessary for a gasoline car to equal the carbon footprint of an electric car on different U.S. regional electric grids. For instance: To emit as little carbon per mile as an electric car charged on the New York state grid, a gasoline car would have to be rated at 160 miles per gallon. That’s impossible. According to the map, only 3 percent of U.S. residents live in a place (mostly in the Rocky Mountains) where a gas car is better for carbon emissions than an electric car.
Electric cars cleaner than any gas-only car for 97 percent of U.S. drivers
More of Today's Solutions
Naples lets blind visitors feel the Veiled Christ
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On a Tuesday morning in the Sansevero Chapel Museum (Museo Cappella Sansevero) in Naples, a guide named Chiara ...
Read MoreUrban coyotes are denning next door: here’s what to know
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Somewhere near you, a coyote may be nursing a litter of pups right now. She chose her den ...
Read MoreCompany that raised minimum salaries to $70,000 is still thriving
Almost seven years ago, The Optimist Daily did a piece on Dan Price, CEO of the credit card processing company Gravity Payments. At the ...
Read MoreUsing the Paralympics to encourage conversations about limb differences with ...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Children are naturally curious about the world around them, especially the people that cross their paths. When kids ...
Read More
