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Electrive Article
If the converted [vehicle with] 25.9 kWh battery was produced using wind power [and] is charged only with green electricity during its service life, the electric car is “cleaner” than its fossil fuel-powered counterpart after just 17,000 kilometres. A vehicle with a battery twice as large (51.8 kWh) can reach values between 20,000 (battery made from wind power) and 35,000 kilometres (battery made from coal power) until break-even when charged with green electricity. If, however, charging with an electricity mix that roughly corresponds to the current European average, even a car with a small battery will break even only over or under 50,000 kilometres – depending on whether one assumes second-life use or not. An electric vehicle with a 51.8 kWh battery, which is produced using coal-fired electricity and charged using the “dirty” electricity mix, only reaches break-even after 310,000 kilometres.