Electric vehicles can reduce CO2 emissions most effectively when powered by electricity generated from what source?

• A. Low-carbon sources for electricity
• B. Coal-fired electricity
• C. Natural gas only
• D. Petrol engines

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that a vehicle’s emissions during use depend on how the electricity it runs on is produced. Electric motors are much more efficient than internal combustion engines, so when you charge an EV with electricity from low-carbon sources, the CO2 emitted per kilometer is very small.

If the electricity comes from low-carbon options like wind, solar, hydro, or nuclear, the overall emissions from driving an EV are minimized, making it the most effective way to cut CO2. In contrast, using coal-fired electricity adds a lot of emissions at the power plant, which erodes the gains from using an electric vehicle. Natural gas is cleaner than coal but still emits CO2. Petrol engines emit CO2 directly as they burn fuel, so they generally produce higher emissions than an EV charged with clean electricity.

So, powering electric vehicles with electricity generated from low-carbon sources yields the greatest reduction in CO2 emissions.