In order to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a battery-electric vehicle, gas-powered vehicles need to average 55.4 mpg in the United States or 51.5 mpg worldwide.
A new study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute determined that generating electricity for a full charge creates more carbon dioxide emissions where coal or oil is the main source of providing power.
“The reasons for conducting such a country-by-country comparison are that the indirect emissions from (battery-electric vehicles) depend on the mix of fuel sources used to generate electricity and countries differ widely in their fuel-source mix,” UMTRI researcher Michael Sivak said in a news release.
Read more of the original article at Detroit Free Press.