I worked at a large automotive manufacturer in near Detroit a number of years ago when they were considering whether or not to design and manufacture an electri

I worked at a large automotive manufacturer in near Detroit a number of years ago when they were considering whether or not to design and manufacture an electric vehicle. The had engaged in full "well to wheels" analysis of potential designs as well as that of competitors and concluded that the energy economics never made sense. That analysis considered how "carbon expensive" it is to spin up manufacturing, manufacture, service and operate a vehicle going all the way back to raw materials sourcing. They felt more optimistic about diesel hybrids but also chose not to pursue that. I find it unfortunate that we don't see a more standardized process for conducting full "well to wheels" analysis that takes into account the full life cycle of a designs, manufacturing and product lifecycle. Would be awesome if a consumer watchdog group existed that had the access and technical competence needed to audit these technologies.