There's been considerable debate among advocates of battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell cars over which technology is better for the environment.
While neither vehicle type produces any tailpipe emissions, their overall emissions vary depending on the fuels and processes used to generate electricity or produce hydrogen.
A new study indicates battery-electric cars have an advantage in this area.
Battery-electric cars are better at reducing emissions, and are more cost-effective than fuel-cell cars, according to researchers from Stanford University and the Technical University of Munich (TUM).
Their study, published in the journal Energy and conducted with some support from BMW, looked at the potential effect of large-scale battery-electric and fuel-cell car adoption on overall energy use, focusing on California.
The Golden State already has more electric cars than any other, and is the only U.S. state where hydrogen fuel-cell cars are currently available...
