here's an article I usually reference when this kind of question comes up: https://web.archive.org/web/20170417164448/https://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/c

here's an article I usually reference when this kind of question comes up: https://web.archive.org/web/20170417164448/https://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/climatesnapshot/do-electric-cars-cause-more-or-less-climate-pollution-gasoline-cars-take-look https://web.archive.org/web/20170417164448/https://www.vanco... tldr; In dirty electricity regions, driving on electricity creates similar climate pollution to gasoline. Regions that burn mostly coal and natural gas to generate electricity create high levels of climate pollution for each kWh. In Alberta, for example, a Plug-In Prius will cause a similar amount of climate pollution driving on gasoline as it does driving on Alberta's electricity. Some electric car owners have worked around this problem by putting up their own solar panels, or by purchasing cleaner electricity directly from their utility.