Analysis of Pollutants Emission into the Air at the Stage of an Electric Vehicle Operation

The article discusses the research on CO2 emissions at the stage of electric engine vehicle operation. The operation stage includes, among others use of the vehicle as well as maintenance and charging for the vehicle’s propulsion. The origin of the electricity consumed during charging has an impact on the vehicle’s emissions balance. The scope of considerations concerns coal as the main energy carrier in Poland. The obtained results can be a benchmark for comparing other primary energy sources used for electricity production. Based on the collected technical data of electric cars, the values of CO2 emission factors from electricity production in thermal power plants and data on the state and structure of electricity production in Poland, an analysis of CO2 emissions from electric vehicles in the operational stage was performed. The vehicle’s electricity consumption of 0.14–0.16 kWh/km is accompanied by CO2 emissions of 100.94–115.36 g/km. The calculated CO2 exceeds the EU limit value from 01/01/2020 (95 g/km) for average CO2 emissions from new passenger vehicles. The main message of the work is the statement that increasing the efficiency of the electricity generation process in commercial thermal power plants in Poland will translate into a reduction in the emission of electric cars consuming this energy for propulsion. The research shows that the change in the efficiency of energy transformations in a thermal power plant from 38% to 46% leads to a reduction in the emission of an electric vehicle by over 17%. The emission of CO2 from a passenger car with a compression-ignition engine is discussed. The considerations include the stage of the use of the vehicle and the stage of production of diesel oil, which is consumed during the use of the vehicle.