Reports vary with regards to the emissions savings potential for electric cars, and part of the research project for Switch EV will be to provide more data and answers to this question.

Electric cars produce no tail pipe emissions, so city centres will benefit from fewer particulates, lower nitrogen oxide and lower carbon dioxide within the city centre. Air quality within city environments will improve.

Emissions associated with electric cars relate, mainly, to their recharging and the source of electricity used. The work being carried out in the North East of England to deliver a recharging infrastructure includes the issuing of a contract to one energy supplier, and it is an essential part of the contract that the energy provided is 100% renewable. Therefore, the emission savings over an ICE are extremely significant.

If electric cars are charged from the existing national grid, then they still emit up to 40% less carbon dioxide than equivalent sized ICEs. Reports from the Department for Transport, the Office of Low Emission Vehicles  and trusted industry experts such as David Mackay agree that the potential environmental savings from electric vehicles are significant.

The research team at Newcastle University are monitoring air quality management areas within Newcastle and have data regarding current emission levels from transport across the city. Data captured from the vehicles included in the Switch EV trial will enable a comparison to be made between existing levels of vehicle emissions and those generated through the use of electric vehicles.