Since the summer break, tensions have been simmering within the Coalition over electric vehicles. Although Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg has thrown his support behind electric cars, some on the government benches are yet to be convinced.
The data on the Green Vehicle Guide website shows only the more powerful Tesla models emitted "close to 200 grams" of carbon dioxide per kilometre. Most emitted less, some considerably less. Mr Kelly referred to "a Tesla" and "a Corolla". However, the website lists 27 different models of Tesla, with emissions varying depending on the model. At the time Mr Kelly made his claim (the website has since been updated), emissions for the various Tesla models ranged from 174 to 212 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. For petrol Corolla models, emissions ranged from 171 to 191 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre. However, according to experts, the data for the emissions intensity of the energy grid was out of date at the time the claim was made. The website has been updated since Mr Kelly made his claim with data reflecting the 2015-16 electricity mix between coal, gas and renewables. This resulted in a significant improvement in the reported environmental performance of the Tesla compared with petrol Corollas, such that five models of Tesla had higher emissions than the most polluting Corolla (191 grams of CO2 per kilometre), compared with 22 that were less polluting. After the update, 17 models of Tesla had higher emissions than the least polluting petrol Corolla (171 grams of CO2 per kilometre), while 10 had lower emissions than even the most environmentally friendly petrol Corolla. Mr Kelly does have a point — not all Tesla models are cleaner than Corollas. However, it is a stretch to suggest — even using out-of-date 2013-14 data for the emissions intensity of the electricity grid — that Corollas have "significantly" lower emissions than Teslas. And experts said it was misleading to compare high-performance cars with mid-performance ones. They pointed out that a fairer comparison for a Corolla was a small electric car such as a Renault Zoe, which according to the latest data on the website emits between 121 and 136 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre — less than any of the five petrol Corollas.
Fact check: Does a Toyota Corolla emit less than a Tesla?
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