Whole-life carbon emissions 'must be accounted for'

Date: 9/6/2011

The carbon emissions produced during the entire lifetime of a vehicle - including the manufacturing process - should be taken into account by buyers.

According to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP), this is an important step when successfully comparing the greenhouse gas output of different eco cars.

It adds that while more emissions are produced in the production of hybrid and electric vehicles, overall they remain greener than standard motors.

However, the study notes that 46 per cent of the total carbon footprint of a battery powered electric vehicle is generated before it has left the factory or travelled even one mile.

Greg Archer, LowCVP Managing Director, says: "This work dispels the myth that low-carbon vehicles simply displace emissions from the exhaust to other sources. However, it does highlight the need to look at reducing carbon emissions from vehicles throughout their lifecycle."

He adds that the automotive industry is already taking steps to address these issues, with the use of wind energy at the Nissan LEAF production plant one example.

In May, WWF-UK released a report in which it claimed that no fewer than 1.7 million electric vehicles will be required by 2020 if the UK is to achieve its climate change goals.

Posted by Nick Anderson