"Except an ICE car will use twice or more the amount of energy to go the same distance as an EV if BTUs of gasoline are converted to kWhs. I can only see your point in case of ~90% of some state's electricity is produced from coal. An EV would still be more efficient but at a huge price of air pollution." - EV Dan
Two cars, one EV another ICE, will consume the same amount of energy if CD, rolling resistance, frontal area and weight numbers are same.
The difference in the amount of pollutant comes from the thermal efficiency of ICE and fire-powered plants...
ICE : 40% peak at best, 25 ~30% peak in general, 15% half-throttle everyday driving
Coal-fired plant: 45% at best, 35% in general
IGCC(Integrated Coal Gasfication Combined Cycle) plant: 48~50%
Natural gas-powered combined cycle plant: 58~59%
2017 Prius Hybrid: more than 50% at best, 30%(?) half-throttle everyday driving
EV loss in transmission, charging, AC/DC(/AC) conversion: 10%(optimistic?)
As far as CO2 pollution is concerned best combination is drive an EV and live in Quebec or
BC where about 90% of electricity comes from hydro plant, and in Ontario where more than
90% comes from nuke, hydro and wind combined. Alberta does not do well in this regard.
90% of its electricity comes from coal and natural gas, 51% and 39% respectively. At best
its coal-fired plant's efficiencyis about 45%(?) at Edmonton Genesee 3 supercritical steam plant.
Alberta's priorityis to use its own coal and natural gas, just as SOB(South of the Boarder) peaple
use coal produced in the impoverished West Virginia.
