Gross carbon emissions from alternative transport fuels in India

It is observed that while CNG and electric-powered vehicles may have low and zero tailpipe emissions respectively, gross pollution from such vehicles and their associated resource systems may be significant. In the case of electrically-propelled vehicles the gross carbon emission is comparable with that for similar petrol-engine vehicles since about 80% of electricity production in India is fossil-fuel-based. In comparison, CNG shows a reduction of about a third. Alcohol-fuelled vehicles, by comparison, can show neutral (i.e., zero net) carbon emission. The importance of gross pollution assessments in rational choice of a fuel cannot be overemphasised.