Long tail-pipe problem

Figure 1. All-electric vehicles, such as the Nissan Leaf, shift the usual emissions from a car to the power plants where the electricity is made.

Long tail-pipe problem is an argument against the "zero emissions" claim of electric vehicles (EVs), which says that although there are no emissions from the actual operation of an all-electric vehicle, there is associated emissions from the electricity they are using. Electricity must be generated in a power plant, and most power plants, specifically those powered by fossil fuels, emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and other pollutants into the atmosphere. The long tail-pipe problem says that when an EV charges its batteries, it is using this electricity and therefore associating itself with these emissions. Because of this, it is important for the public to know where their electricity comes from, and a life cycle analysis should always be considered for such products.

Since different power plants have different emissions, with coal-fired power plants being the worst while renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy are the among the cleanest, it matters where the car is getting its electricity. If an EV is getting most of its electricity from a coal power plant, it may not actually be cleaner than a normal internal combustion vehicle. However in most cases, EVs are cleaner than normal gasoline or diesel cars and can reduce the CO2 footprint of a person.

Although electric vehicles can reduce the local emissions within a city or town where it is driving, this comes at the cost of increased emissions in the power plants that are located outside of cities. This can help with inner city pollution problems, but it is far from a solution to emissions and their effect on climate change.

Where do you get your electricity?

The simulation below shows what sort of power plants generate electricity in each country. This can be used to gauge the cleanness of an electric vehicle in a given location.