Electric vehicles may not be quite as clean and green as we like to think. Even putting aside the process of building them, most electricity comes from nonrenewable resources. There are ways to ensure your electric vehicle is as clean as possible, though, and one of the best things you can do is charge with energy from renewable resources as often as possible. That may be harder to do on the road at public charging stations than at home, and it may take some investments on your part, but it’s worth the effort if you want to ensure that driving your EV is as clean as possible. Here’s what you need to know.
Renewable Resources
First, it’s important to understand how using renewable energy makes it more environmentally friendly to own and operate an EV. Though EVs don’t produce any tailpipe emissions, there are pollution and environmental costs associated with energy production, such as drilling and refining oil to turn into gasoline. In 2021, 60 percent of the energy produced in the United States came from coal and gas, which meant some of that certainly ended up powering EVs despite the owners’ best intentions.
Even if you aren’t feeding gasoline or other dirty nonrenewable fuels directly into your EV, the point is that some methods of generating energy are cleaner than others. Charging your EV with renewable energy, from sources like wind, solar, geothermal, biogas and some low-impact hydroelectric sources, increases demand for this type of energy and ensures an EV is running as cleanly as possible.
At Home
If you live in a single-family home, installing solar panels can be a great way to ensure your EV is charged with renewable electricity. Experts note that a properly-sized solar array is generally enough to power a home but might not be enough to charge an EV on top of a home’s regular power usage. This is a conversation you should have with your local solar energy installer, but as long as your home is set up properly and you install a compatible home EV charging station, it’s possible to run your home and charge your electric vehicle entirely off solar electricity. The up-front costs of a solar array installation may be expensive, but you may qualify for federal and local incentives.
If you aren’t able to install solar panels in your home, for whatever reason, you may have some other options to ensure your EV is being fed renewable energy. Some local utility companies may be able to switch your household to a clean energy source, which may change how much you pay for electricity, but in a way you can feel good about. This may not work if you live in a multi-unit dwelling or in an area where these energy sources aren’t offered, but a little research will help you determine whether it’s an option.
At Public Charging Stations
If you live in an area where you can’t add solar panels to your home or can’t change your utilities, at least you can make more conscious decisions at public charging stations. Look for Energy Star certified EV chargers which, it must be noted, will get their energy however it’s supplied from the local grid, which may or may not be renewable, but they’ll use less of that energy. Level 1 and Level 2 Energy Star certified charging stations are designed to use 40 percent less energy when they’re in standby mode; that is, when they’re not actually charging a vehicle.
Considering EV chargers spend about 85 percent of their time in standby mode, that certainly adds up. Even if you can’t ensure you’re charging your EV with renewable energy all the time, you can certainly make an effort to use less.
