By powered, I don't mean to say the battery is the source of the energy it stores. In analysing the effects of increased usage of electric transport, what's im

By powered, I don't mean to say the battery is the source of the energy it stores. In analysing the effects of increased usage of electric transport, what's important is where new electricity generating capacity will come from. In the US that's primarily natural gas and solar. Coal generation has actually been decreasing. Of course, that's not to say that if everyone suddenly started driving electric cars that all the new supply would be green energy. However, even coal power stations taking into account powerline losses are more efficient than a typical car's engine, and in Western countries usually cleaner as far as particulate and nitrous oxide pollutants are concerned.