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The Electric Vehicle in the Climate Change Race: Tortoise, Hare or Both?

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The Electric Vehicle in the Climate Change Race. Tortoise, Hare or Both?
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Europe is seeking ways to decrease the growing negative impact of passenger cars on climate, currently responsible for up to 12% of total EU CO2 emissions. After biofuels in the nineties and hydrogen in 2000, the new answer to climate change appears to be electric. But contrary to many marketing messages, electric cars are not zero emissions cars. They will not necessarily contribute to actual CO2 emission reductions before 2020 and even then, not in every country. 

Corps analyses

In EU Member States where the power sector is based on coal, they could actually make things worse. In others, bad management of the charging function could increase peak load requirements and cause investments in fossil-fuel-fired power plants. Finally, electric vehicles and related costs are very high. Not only does this cast doubts on the extent and timing of their eventual market breakthrough, but it may also mean that their CO2 tone abatement cost is high.

Nonetheless, for the longer term, CO2 emissions from conventional vehicles can only be reduced to a certain extent whereas the potential for electric vehicles plugged into a decarbonised electricity grid approaches zero. If electric cars are to help to reduce CO2 emissions significantly in the future, Europe needs to start now to develop this promising mitigation tool. There is in theory almost no constraint on the electric vehicle becoming a “zero emission vehicle”, while conventional car will always have to burn fuel.

 

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978-2-86592-868-2

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The Electric Vehicle in the Climate Change Race: Tortoise, Hare or Both?

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Author(s)
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Climate & Energy
Center for Energy & Climate
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Ifri's Energy and Climate Center carries out activities and research on the geopolitical and geoeconomic issues of energy transitions such as energy security, competitiveness, control of value chains, and acceptability. Specialized in the study of European energy/climate policies as well as energy markets in Europe and around the world, its work also focuses on the energy and climate strategies of major powers such as the United States, China or India. It offers recognized expertise, enriched by international collaborations and events, particularly in Paris and Brussels.

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The Strategic Dimension of Power System Flexibility: Opportunities in Europe

Date de publication
30 April 2025
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The European Union has embarked on an energy transition aimed primarily at replacing fossil fuels by electrifying demand. 

Cédric PHILIBERT Arthur de LASSUS
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Energy Developments in the United Kingdom

Date de publication
19 May 2025
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The United Kingdom (UK) has traditionally been an example for its neighbours and the world in developing ambitious, innovative and effective energy policies. 

Rémy CARBONNIER
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India’s Green Hydrogen Strategy in Action: Policy Actions, Market Insights, and Global Opportunities

Date de publication
24 April 2025
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India is poised to remain the world’s fastest-growing major economy, and this rapid growth is driving a sharp rise in energy demand. As the most populous country on the planet, India urgently needs to decarbonize its energy systems.

Akul RAIZADA
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Water in Mexico: an Emergency that Will Wait

Date de publication
22 April 2025
Accroche

Access to water is already and will become increasingly problematic for Mexican economic actors due to the progressive scarcity of the resource resulting from climate change, a geographical distribution that does not coincide with that of the population or economic activity, and management that has so far been far too lax. 

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The Electric Vehicle in the Climate Change Race. Tortoise, Hare or Both?

The Electric Vehicle in the Climate Change Race: Tortoise, Hare or Both?