Greenback Machines

The definition of “green” technologies is random. Often, the label is stuck on technologies that supposedly reduce CO2 emissions. Reducing emissions of a gas that increases global greening is apparently “green”. If you don’t think that assignment is contradictory enough yet, keep reading.

Or take battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Are they greener than an internal combustion engine (ICE) car, and should their owners receive a federal tax credit of $7,500 for taking on the task to “save the planet”?

For the same-sized vehicle, BEVs may be up to 30% cleaner depending on the fuel mix. A few industry studies by VW and Volvo point this out, if you are willing to ignore the non-realistic max-swagger wind-only power mix. Even so, that 15 tons of lifecycle CO2 reduction for the XC40 (EU Mix) is valued at $500/ton CO2 while the current market value for carbon is only ~$50/ton?

But this is not how most carbon emissions comparison studies are done. Most often, papers feature a comparison of the average ICE to the average BEV. That is comparing apples to oranges, as the average ICE is quite a bit bigger than the average BEV, but it hits home the point that BEVs “are green”. As The Drive shows, two can play that game. There are other ways to get to ~30% CO2 emissions reduction.

As suggested by The Drive: buy a smaller car. Why do small car owners not get a federal grant? The massive Ford F-150 Lightning and the Rivian R1T, which emit about double the CO2 of a Honda Civic at 120,000 (lifecycle) miles, net the $7,500 federal grant, while the Civic gets nothing? Why doesn’t “small” qualify for “green”?

My suggestion: bike to work 1-2 days a week. That’s 750 bike rides over a decade. But we don’t give cyclists $10 for their ride to thank them for being “green”. No, instead we reward highly visible low-tailpipe emitters who generally hide their massive metal / diesel / coal footprint abroad.

A slight possible reduction in CO2 emissions is not a step change that warrants a “green” label. These federal (and some state) grants are also dramatic overpayments in terms of carbon credits. These green machines are exceptional at printing greenbacks.