Are Electric Cars Really Better For The Environment?

The purported environmental benefits of electric cars and the ability to lower one’s carbon footprint have a lot of Belleville drivers switching to electric vehicles like the Ford F-150 Lightning. But, are electric cars really better for the environment? After all, fossil fuels are often used to produce electricity. And are electric cars better for the environment than conventional cars that get high gas-mileage? Keep reading to find out.

What are the Environmental Benefits of Electric Cars?

Did you know that the average gas-powered vehicle produces 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year? One of the main environmental benefits of electric cars like the Mustang Mach-E is that they produce zero emissions. And when you take into consideration the fact that big diesel trucks aren’t required to transport fuel for electric vehicles, those benefits start to rack up, and that’s why EVs are so popular with Mascoutah drivers who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Are Electric Cars Better For The Environment than Gas Cars?

But, electric cars still have to be plugged in to be charged with electricity, and that process often uses fossil fuels. So, are electric cars really better for the environment? Actually, the energy needed to charge an electric vehicle is negligible compared to what it takes to fuel a gas-powered vehicle. Think about those gas-guzzling semi trucks that transport, first the crude oil, then the refined gasoline. For every four gallons of gasoline used by a car on our Waterloo roads, it took a gallon of gasoline to transport that fuel. 

Are Electric Cars Better for the Environment than Fuel-Efficient Gas Vehicles?

Are electric cars really better for the environment when they make some gas-powered cars now that can get over 40 miles per gallon? The EPA measures something called, “MPGe”, or “miles per gallon equivalent”. That is basically the measurement of how much “fuel” or the energy equivalent, is being used by an electric vehicle. The Mustang Mach-E, for example, registers an estimated 84 MPGe.

Check Out the Electric Vehicles at Auffenberg Ford South Belleville

Why not come down and take the Mustang Mach-E or Ford F-150 Lightning for a test drive? We’d be happy to help you drive home in one of your own. If you’d like to learn more, read about the other benefits of electric cars and how the federal EV tax credits work. We’re just a short drive away from Columbia, and we’re here to help. So, pay us a visit today!