Driver sparks heated debate with harmful EV take — and it's igniting strong reactions

"Perfect is the enemy of good" is an aphorism that many anti-EV critics should consider.

While aspects like the source of electricity being used to power EVs certainly are legitimate problems, that doesn't mean we should punt. That's especially true when the trends are moving in a positive direction.

Still, a determined Redditor tried to "expose" EVs in a post to the r/conspiracy subreddit, saying that they are primarily powered by dirty energy sources. They asked: "Can we stop acting like these are clean or green answers?"

While their numbers are no longer up to date, it's true that as of 2023, there was a kernel of truth to their point. In that year, around 60% of our electricity was generated from dirty energy sources, with an additional 18% via nuclear power, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

However, the tide is turning with renewables powering 21% of utility-scale generation, which is up from 12% in 1990. 

The OP also misses the big picture when it comes to pollution generated by gas-powered vehicles. Tailpipe pollution adds more and more planet-heating gases, only exacerbating the record-setting heat that comes with extreme weather.

Scientists who have exhaustively made the comparison between the complete environmental toll of EVs and gas-powered vehicles have found that EVs are better for the planet, even accounting for the consequences of mining their battery materials on top of charging them. 

Furthermore, there are potential improvements on the way to make EVs an even better and sustainable proposition for the environment. For one, renewables are on the rise in the U.S. as solar ramps up and takes a greater piece of the pie. Globally, the same can be said for wind.

With all this in mind, the OP's point is debunked as accentuating one negative aspect of an imperfect but improving tech while ignoring the worse alternative.

Multiple commenters pushed back on the OP's premise.

Do you think EVs will dominate our roads in 15 years? No way 👎 Absolutely yes 👍 Only in some areas 🗺️ I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Fossils fuel power plants are much more efficient and less wasteful than automobile engines," one user said.

"An electric car on the regular grid still produces less CO2 for most of the US grid," another commenter noted. "... Even small amounts of nuclear, wind, hydroelectric, solar are enough to push it over the edge."

"Can we stop acting like power plants aren't significantly more efficient than combustion engines," a Redditor demanded.

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