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The Union of Concerned Scientists has updated their paper on how clean EVs really are in each region in the U.S.

New Numbers Are In and EVs Are Cleaner Than Ever - Union of Concerned Scientists


This one has a fun active map where you can compare the previous update with 2012 data vs 2014 data.

In MN, the average EV runs as cleanly (Greenhouse Gas wise) as a car that gets a combined 51mpg!
Being a Minnesota resident, I was very happy to see this and hope to see continued improvements.

Interestingly, a couple of regions actually lost ground.

Weighted by sales data, EVs have reached about 73mpg (CO2-wise) in the U.S.

A word of caution after the YouTube:


I am reminded of how NiMH batteries became a dead-end because the patents were held too tightly. Available for data centers, NiMH licenses all but banned them for transportation. Yet Toyota managed to get in before the curtain came down to the success of the Prius. Unintended, this increased the efforts in LiON batteries which are rapidly relegating NiMH to a footnote of history.

The problem is "Ceres" is limiting who can get access to their technology. In the USA, Cummins who also have a significant investment in ICE powered systems. Cummins advertises their interest in this technology for data center power ... the same grave of NiMH battery systems.

If history repeats itself, it means inspiration and investment of other, natural gas fed, fuel cell technologies. Trying to partner with "big companies" is the death of the technology until it become irrelevant. Here is the CEO of Ceres reading their last...

Novel idea. Wish our Prii had this feature:

If you should accidentally leave a light on or something plugged in and the battery gets drained, there's no need for a jump-start. Just push this button and the car's big onboard battery pack will quick charge the 12-volt portion of the battery. No more calling AAA for a jump or dragging out jumper cables and hoping for a kind Samaritan to help you, and no replacing the heavy 12-volt battery every couple of years.