In our 110,000 miles we've used an average of 1 kwh of leccy for every 2.6 miles - so that's around 42,000kwh of power we've used. With our electric supply still coming from the grid with an average emissions level of 193g/kwh (our solar panels have been delayed AGAIN); we've emitted around 8.1 tonnes of co2e.
DON'T WORRY - we hear you doubters; we're forgetting about how many emissions it takes to MAKE the batteries!!
With the calculator still fired up - our research shows that it takes around 175kg/co2e of emissions per kwh of battery; our batteries are 52.5kwh each so that's around 29 tonnes for the 3 vans.
29 tonnes add 8.1 tonnes is 37.8 tonnes of emissions since we changed from diesel to leccy.
How would a diesel have fared?
Well, with x3 Citroen Dispatch 1.6 diesels (we had ordered them then cancelled before we went leccy) the tailpipe emissions would have been 23.9 tonnes (136g/km). Add in the carbon footprint of the actual diesel (another 24% - I overestimated this figure in my August figures and was kindly corrected by an industry insider) being mined and refined it takes the real world emissions to 30.64 tonnes of CO2e
So, as our research has progressed and we understand the figures more accurately, we have found that like for like emissions would have been roughly similar so far, but the story doesn't stop there...
Our vans will be kept until they've done at least 150,000 miles each before we sell them on - that's a total of 450,000 miles.
At 450,000 miles (without taking in our solar panels being installed), we will have emitted 64.2 tonnes of co2e including the building of the batteries.
If it were diesel, that same mileage would have been 97.9 tonnes of co2e.
So, with the most accurate figures we have found and comparing our real world examples to the 'optimal' figures of a diesel van we'll be saving a MINIMUM of 33.7 tonnes of co2e in our vans lifetime - which weirdly, is enough carbon to make 3 brand new electric ones and run them for 18 months...
Oh, and all that 'oooh but you can't recycle the batteries' is a load of cow dung; it's already happening across Europe, with UK factories already being built.
#EV #Vans #ItsNotZeroButGettingCloser #Organic #Electric #Diesel #MossgielFarm #RoadToNetZero
*Note*
These figures are based on real world EV use in our case vs lab data for the diesel van. Lab conditions do not reflect real world use and are widely accepted to be dependant on use and environmental factors.
Electricity emissions data based on averages of the UK grid.
Battery emissions data based on research