Electric Vehicles: Driving the Shift Towards Decarbonization

In our previous discussion of Canada’s NIReport, transportation was the only sector showing consistent increases in emissions since the base year. This brings us to one of the most popular topics in the world of decarbonization: electrification of transportation and electric vehicles (EVs).

The general category of EVs can be broken down based on the available power in a vehicle, and includes battery EVs (BEV), which are entirely electric-powered, plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEV), which derive power from both internal combustion and batteries, and, though not always considered full EVs, non-plug-in hybrids, or just hybrids also utilize some electric power. The beauty of hybrids is the ability to recover energy through regenerative braking.

In traditional friction brakes, the kinetic energy of the vehicle is converted to heat in the brake pads which is then dissipated or lost to the atmosphere. Regenerative braking slows the vehicle by converting kinetic energy to electrical energy in a small generator, which is used to charge batteries. When accelerating, the generator is run in the opposite direction, as a motor, to bring the vehicle back up to speed. While there are still losses in this system, it is a great efficiency improvement over traditional braking, the primary driver of high fuel mileage in hybrids, and has the added benefit of reducing wear and tear on the braking system as minimal friction is required. When the vehicle is up to speed, the internal combustion engine can take over and operate at its most efficient and consistent highway speeds.

Almost all PHEVs and BEVs will also utilize regenerative braking for efficiency but have a larger store of batteries that can be charged through a grid connection. In terms of emissions, most people are aware of Scope II, the emissions associated with electricity that we consume from the grid. But it can also be helpful to shift one’s perspective on what electricity really is, and what is ultimately powering plug-in vehicles.

Electricity itself isn’t so much a source of energy as it is an energy transfer mechanism – and an excellent transfer mechanism at that. Modern grids allow us to utilize a wide variety of energy sources, spread out geographically and far from population centers, with the capability to ramp up voltage for efficient long-range transportation and ramp it back down to safely power the appliances we depend on day to day. It is interesting to consider, when driving an EV, that what is truly powering it may be a hydroelectric dam kilometers away, a natural gas turbine with the capacity to power tens of thousands of vehicles, a nuclear reaction driving a steam turbine, or sunshine creating a voltage potential on a panel.

An internal combustion engine will produce roughly 2.2 kg of CO2 per Litre of fuel consumed – and so a passenger vehicle with an average fuel economy of 7 L/100km will be emitting 15.4 kgCO2/100km, equivalent to 1 kg every 6.5 km. With EVs, these emissions are entirely dependent on the generating stations that power the grid charging the vehicle. With an average fuel economy of 15 kWh/100km, an EV can have roughly zero emissions if powered by renewables or nuclear power or can exceed 15 kgCO2/100km in a grid powered by coal. However, even in the case of fossil-fueled grids, the high efficiency of modern generating stations surpasses the efficiency of an average internal combustion engine. Of course, this is all heavily dependent on the way the vehicle is driven. Furthermore, when considering the environmental impacts of vehicles, only looking at the operating life itself is insufficient, particularly when considering the life cycle impacts of battery manufacture and disposal.

In both Canada and the US, the share of EVs on the road has been steadily increasing since the mid-2010s, growing from less than 1% to over 7% in Canada, 75% of which are BEVs. In the US, EV sales have increased by 8 times since 2016, with BEVs having an 8% market share in 2023 and all EVs (including hybrids) a share of 16%. Interestingly, sales in both Canada and the US fell in Q1 of 2024, though this is certainly not an indication of a change in pattern.

While the benefits to emissions and efficiency are notable, with a BEV on average consuming ? the energy of an internal combustion vehicle, there are of course drawbacks as well. Most discussed are limitations in range on a single charge, long charging times of electric vehicles, and challenges around battery manufacture and disposal. Other limitations include operation in cold climates, where heating the cabin for the passengers can use more energy than driving the EV itself, drastically reducing range; limitations to grid distribution infrastructure that can be overwhelmed by many EVs charging at the same time; and the need for battery replacements during the lifetime of a vehicle, or high vehicle turnover.

Of course, where there are limitations there are also interesting benefits. Research into improving EV battery technology has produced more efficient batteries for a wide range of applications; the development of EVs has gone hand in hand with the development of “self-driving” and automated vehicles; and new research is uncovering the potential of “smart” and well-organized EV charging allowing more efficient operation of electricity grids and better renewables utilization. With new advancements and a steadily increasing adoption, EVs are certain to play an important role in the ongoing transition to decarbonized energy systems.

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