Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/904009
maltatoday Motoring In a new boost to electric vehicles' credibility – as if any were really needed – researchers have proven that electric cars emit significantly less greenhouse gases over their lifetimes than diesel engines even when they are powered by the most carbon intensive energy. They calculated the total lifecycle emissions of an electric car, including its manufacture, battery manufacture, and all of its energy consumption. In Poland, which uses high volumes of coal, electric vehicles produced a quarter less emissions than diesels when put through a full lifecycle modelling study by Belgium's•VUB University. CO2 reductions on Europe's cleanest grid in Sweden were a remarkable 85%, falling to around one half for countries such as the UK. It is, therefore, no surprise that car manufacturers continue to increase their spending on electric vehicles, R&D and designs. Even supercar manufacturers are jumping in the fray with the likes of Aston Martin and Lamborghini announcing plans to develop their own electric vehicles. And while they do, Tesla surprises everyone with the launch of a new Roadster, scheduled for 2020, as the company proves it does not intend to ignore any segment of the market.