Fossil Fuel Drives Electric Cars
To the Editor:
Peter Sterling’s argument that “if we can reach the goal of 120,000 electric vehicles replacing fossil fuel vehicles in Vermont over this decade, we would avoid burning over 6,650 million gallons of gasoline over the average 12-year lifespan of a car” is indisputable. However, it’s important to keep in mind that, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2020 a whopping 60 percent of electricity used in the U.S. was generated from “fossil fuels — coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases.” So, although your Teslas and your Leafs and your Ford Mustang Mach-Es might not burn gas themselves, they still rely on fossil fuels to power up, and, until the vast majority of electric power no longer comes from fossil-fuel–burning power plants, cars will continue to have a rather large carbon footprint.
Randi Hacker, Montpelier
UNDERWRITING SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
