An energy expert swiftly debunked inaccurate claims about electric vehicle chargers in Australia.
TikToker Electrify This (@electrify_this) shared a clip last year to explain that, no, electric vehicle chargers are not powered by diesel generators. The infrastructure is just one aspect of the green transition targeted by critics, but, like similar accusations, it's another baseless talking point that only benefits dirty energy corporations.
@electrify_this Ah the classic all ev chargers are powered by diesel gemerators myth. #ev #electriccar #electriccars #evcharging ♬ original sound - Electrify This
Sarah Aubrey, an Australian electrification advocate, created the video while on a walk, and her sarcastic approach and faux surprise contrast greatly with the beautiful outdoors in a gripping performance.
"Most electric vehicle chargers in cities are actually powered by renewable energy," Aubrey countered.
While she did not provide evidence for this claim, Open Electricity reported that 41% of the country's grid is already powered by renewables, with lawmakers hoping to reach 82% by 2030. Additionally, a survey conducted by Ausgrid, an electricity company powering Australia's east coast, found that at least 80% of EV drivers charge at home most of the time.
Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar, per the Australian Electric Vehicle Association, which noted EVs are three times as efficient as internal combustion engine vehicles. The organization also cited the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which stated, "Even with current grids, EVs reduce emissions in almost all cases."
In her TikTok video, Aubrey does cite one source as a potential cause of confusion for many. The National Roads and Motorists' Association was studying solar-powered EV chargers with backup batteries and diesel generators — "in the Outback, where there is no grid power," Aubrey stressed dramatically.
Hilariously, she could not contain her laughter and had to regroup before continuing.
"It's just another little furphy, isn't it?" she concluded, using an Australian colloquialism for a false rumor.
EVs are helping people save money and reduce their impact on the planet. The automobiles do not produce heat-trapping gases like diesel or gas-powered vehicles do, and their batteries are the reason why, even if they're charged with dirty energy from the grid.
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Cost 💰 Zero tailpipe pollution means healthier air, cooler weather, and a better future. Vehicle exhaust causes and exacerbates asthma and other respiratory diseases. It also contributes to the pollution in the atmosphere that envelops the planet like a blanket, increasing temperatures, melting ice, and intensifying extreme weather.
Drivers of gas-powered vehicles may want to hang on to the status quo for one reason or another, but the backlash against these cleaner forms of transportation helps only the auto manufacturers as well as oil and gas companies that stand to profit from continued reliance on dirty energy.
"Wow these trolls are relentless," one commenter said. "I can just imagine them tapping out angry telegrams about those damn horseless carriages. 'There's horses hidden in there!'"
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