Just over 1/3 of Poles surveyed believe that electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than ICE vehicles, given the way electricity is generated in Poland.
This percentage is lower than a year ago. This is a sign that education on this topic in our country is still lame, because the environmental “superiority” of electric vehicles over internal combustion engines is confirmed by professional analyzes.
According to the Energy Market Agency, the share of coal in electricity production in Poland has decreased from 86.6% in 2010 to 70.8%. in 2021. Renewable energy sources (RES) increased their share from 6.9 to 16.9 percent, respectively.
Changes are also taking place in the automotive industry. According to Eurostat, in 2020 the share of RES in the total amount of energy used in transport increased to 6.6% from less than 4%. in 2016. Of course, the development of electromobility is of great importance in this matter.
In a recent study, InsightOut Lab and the Volkswagen brand focused on the theme of sustainability in the automotive industry. Like a year ago, respondents were asked if they considered electric vehicles to be more “environmentally friendly” than internal combustion engines.
1/3 are convinced that electrics are more “eco”
In the October 2022 study, 34 percent. of the respondents answered that electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than vehicles with internal combustion engines, including in the realities of the Polish energy balance. In May 2021, that percentage was 47%, down 13 percentage points. Almost one in four respondents (23%) did not have a strong opinion on this matter, which is practically the same as in 2021 (24%).
It follows from this that some of the voices talking about the environmental advantage of electrics over internal combustion engines have gone “in the other direction.” If in May 2021 28 percent. of those polled said that electric vehicles are no more environmentally friendly than ICE vehicles, up from a whopping 43 percent in the most recent survey.
False Claims
Meanwhile, studies show that even in our country, where most of the electricity is still produced from coal, electric vehicles are more environmentally friendly than cars with internal combustion engines. An example is the analysis carried out by the editors of 300gospodarka.pl and the Foundation for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (FPPE).
Internal combustion vehicles (diesel and petrol), hybrids and electric vehicles were compared in three model segments (crossover/SUV, segment B and C). An indicator of the number of grams of emitted substances that are paid for driving a given vehicle per 1 km was taken into account, including emissions associated with the supply of energy (fuel/electricity production) compared to the most poisonous gasolines for 19-31. percent.
Source: Wprost
