The whole problem here is how the motor industry is driven by ... politicians.....The target for years has been "tailpipe emissions" which push them towards lighter vehicles and electric power plants... BUT...The real answer should be what in the industry is known as "well to wheel" or whole life cycle carbon impact. This crucially takes into account the carbon impact of making the vehicle, "fuelling" the vehicle and recycling it at end of life.
The reality is now we see vehicles being made lighter by use of Carbon Fibre which is one of the most planet unfriendly materials there is.. difficult and energy using to make and virtually impossible to recycle...
I still think the good old combustion engine has a long way to go yet... for example if you run it on Natural Gas (methane) it is instantly 25% cleaner than petrol/diesel.. Audi sent out a press release yesterday about how they are working with a fuel supplier to use micro organisms to make ethanol (which can be used to power ICE) from waste water and sunlight... now there is a thing if they pull it off...
The biggest issue electric cars still have is basic physics...1Kg of Petrol produces the same energy as 100Kg of batteries..
