Electric Cars may be a big polluter!

Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research.


The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.

Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Ecology said.

The report pointed out that the longer an electric car in Europe stays mobile, the greater its "lead" over petrol and diesel engines.

"Assuming a vehicle lifetime of 200,000km exaggerates the global warming benefits of electric vehicles to 27-29% relative to petrol and 17-20% relative to diesel," it said.

"An assumption of 100,000km decreases the benefit of electric vehicles to 9-14% with respect to petrol vehicles and results in impacts indistinguishable from those of a diesel vehicle."

An electric car's longevity depends a great deal on how long its battery lasts, not least since it is very expensive to replace them.

Source: BBC Business News

In the News...

FAULTY SEATS GROUND AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHTS
American Airlines has cancelled 94 flights as it works to fix passenger seats that could come loose.


The move comes after a flight from Boston to Miami had to make an emergency landing last weekend after a block of three seats disconnected from the floor.

American said the problem affected 48 Boeing 757s, and that it hoped to have them back in service by Saturday.

The faulty seats had recently been refurbished. The Federal Aviation Administration is now continuing to investigate the issue.

ELECTRIC CARS "A POLLUTER"

Electric cars might pollute much more than petrol or diesel-powered cars, according to new research.


The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity.

Electric car factories also emitted more toxic waste than conventional car factories, their report in the Journal of Industrial Energy said.


SAMSUNG BOAST RECORD PROFITS

Samsung Electronics has estimated record profits in the three months to September, led by strong sales of its Galaxy smartphones.


The South Korean company said it expects operating profits of 8.1 trillion won ($7.3bn; £4.5bn), nearly double last year's figure.

The estimates beat analyst expectations sending Samsung shares 1.5% higher. However, ongoing legal tussles with Apple have cast a shadow over its future performance.


MP3 RULING IMMINENT


A US court is to consider a case that could determine whether digital media files can be resold.


One-year-old start-up ReDigi is battling music giant EMI over whether digital music can be retraded after it has been legally purchased.

ReDigi says that its software is designed to comply with existing United States copyright laws. But EMI argues a legal principle which allows consumers to resell purchased material goods does not apply.

INDIA AIRLINE GROUNDED

India's Kingfisher airline has grounded its fleet for a further week after talks with workers protesting against months of unpaid wages failed.


On Monday the cash-strapped airline had to suspend flights for three days after some technical staff went on strike. But late on Thursday it said flights would be grounded until 12 October.

Meanwhile, the wife of a Kingfisher employee has killed herself, leaving a note blaming financial stress because her husband's salary had not been paid.


Source: BBC Business News