L’empreinte carbone de la mobilité électrique en France. Eléments de comparaison avec le véhicule thermique

Abstract

REE N°1/2019 Z53 MOBILITE PROPRE DOSSIER Aurelien Schuller Manager a Carbone 4 With a share of 30%, the transport sector is the largest contributor to French greenhouse gas emissions, and the passenger cars account for more than half of these emissions. The objectives of the public authorities in terms of reducing emissions are very ambitious for this sector. Beyond a moderation of transport activity and modal shift effects, the conversion of cars to low-carbon energy solutions will be crucial to be able to respect the climate roadmap. In this context, does the electric car have a lower carbon footprint than the thermal one if we take into account emissions from the cradle to the grave? In this article we show that the electric car can significantly reduce the carbon footprint in France: to the extent of 40 to 60% less emissions than a thermal car. This conclusion is valid in countries with a low-carbon electricity: for ins- tance an emission factor of less than 200 g CO2 e/kWh implies a significant difference between electric car and thermal car. Similar gains are possible in other categories of vehicles, electrification being very beneficial in terms of carbon footprint