A new study shows that electric vehicles, particularly, clean energy company, Tesla's Model 3 significantly cut 65 percent less than gas counterparts that pitted it against lifetime emission tests and data of Mercedes-Benz's C-Class.
Electricity-powered cars are rapidly rising to popularity and the scene of the automobile industry with their products that gives not only performance and style but also their Earth-friendly benefits that help in the preservation of the planet.
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A new study from the Eindhoven University of Technology showed the emission tests of Tesla Model 3 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, comparing both and arriving at the conclusion that EVs are remarkably outperforming internal-gas combustion engines. Outperforming, in the sense of emission-based standards and contribution to certain types of pollution.
The researchers also went around the different articles that even states electric cars comes from "dirty electricity" because of the battery's high CO2 emissions that exceed that of gas-powered cars.
The researchers from the Eindhoven University of Technology aimed to debunk the speculations and study that puts electric-powered cars into a shameful light, saying that electricity is dirtier than that of diesel.
Electrek's report in 2019 highlights another group of German researchers specifically concludes and claim that electricity is just a state of mind when it comes to cleaner energy-further stating that it is even dirtier and harmful to the environment.
IFO Research
IFO Institute for Economic Research claims that electric cars are powered by 'dirty electricity' and even produces high carbon dioxide emissions that are harmful to the planet. The study pits electric cars against diesel which are known to make the worst emissions in fuel standards.
The study is considered to be flawed because it compares the life cycle of an electric vehicle and a diesel one. Researchers say that this makes no sense because even after the 150,000 kilometers (100,000 miles), lithium-ion batteries are extremely valuable and recyclable.
Lead-acid batteries, on the other hand, are more hazardous, and it is known to power diesel cars. This study also did not account the resources and emissions spent when producing diesel and supplying it to said vehicles.
Eindhoven's Debunking
The study lists up a couple of key take away points on why the study was flawed and fictitious. Eindhoven's researchers even considered a couple of factors why it was somehow biased to diesel engines.
Exaggerate GHG emissions of battery production
Underestimate battery lifetime
Assume electricity will not get cleaner over the lifetime of the car
Use laboratory tests paid for by manufacturers themselves
Exclude or downplay fuel production emissions
Ignore the larger system
The study's summary listed all these factors that explored how electric vehicles were matched against diesel cars. The prior research disregarded many facts about EVs that concluded a favorable win for internal-combustion engines.
Tesla vs Mercedes Benz: Emission Test
The researchers from Eindhoven used the current models and variants in the automobile industry to compare emission test results with Tesla's Model 3 and Mercedes-Benz's C-Class. However, other match-ups were studied by the researchers, and it includes Volkswagen's e-Golf and Porsche's new electric sports car, Taycan Turbo S.
Eindhoven University of Technology Screenshot
The test measured the grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer, with Tesla having a significantly lesser emission by 65 percent with only 91g. The C-Class produced a massive 260g of CO2 emissions on its run.
Electric vehicles dominated the study with the e-Golf having a 52 percent lesser emissions compared to Toyota's hybrid, Prius, and the Taycan Turbo being 82 percent lesser than the Buggati Veyron's CO2.
