How Record EV and clean energy deployment are working to reduce CO2 emissions
Signs are surfacing that the rollout of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources is working as designed. According to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), record EV and clean energy deployment are contributing to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions in 2022.
Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rebounded sharply last year as economic activity picked up after strict lockdowns during the pandemic. Historic government stimulus and the rapid rollout of vaccines jump-started the global economy, putting it into overdrive.
Global economic growth jumped 5.9% as people returned to their daily routines. At the same time, the pandemic-induced supply chain bottlenecks remained, driving commodity prices and, in turn, inflation to a multidecade high.
Energy prices, such as gas and oil, saw the most dramatic increase with limited production ability and skyrocketing demand. Rising oil and natural gas prices led to a higher reliance on coal, which is notorious for emitting CO2.
To make matters worse, the “energy crisis” is being fueled by the war in Ukraine and OPEC’s decision to cut oil production, threatening global supply.
Rather than remaining a victim to volatile gas and oil prices, several nations have invested heavily in sustainable energy solutions, implementing favorable policies to promote renewable energy and EV adoption.
2022 has been a transformational year so far, as government leaders around the world work to reduce their reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Renewable energy sources covered the rise in global electricity demand in the first half of the year. Moreover, after doubling in 2021, electric vehicle sales are on track to claim 13% of total light-duty vehicle sales globally.
According to the latest IEA analysis, despite a looming energy crisis, the historic rise in EV deployment and renewable energy use is working in the quest to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions.
Record EV and clean energy deployment reducing CO2 emissions
The IEA’s report claims global CO2 emissions are on track to rise by just 1%, or 300 million tonnes, in 2022 after spiking by almost 2 billion tonnes in 2021.
Perhaps, most importantly, the IEA notes:
The rise in global CO2 emissions this year would be much larger – more than tripling to reach close to 1 billion tonnes – were it not for the major deployments of renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles (EVs) around the world.
Interestingly, the improvement shows a stark contrast to what happened following the 2008 global financial crisis, where CO2 emissions rose substantially for several years after.
The war in Ukraine has established a race to find alternative energy sources, and so far, solar and wind energy generation is helping fill the supply gap. IEA executive director, Fatih Birol, explains:
This means that CO2 emissions are growing far less quickly this year than some people feared – and that policy actions by governments are driving real structural changes in the energy economy. Those changes are set to accelerate thanks to the major clean energy policy plans that have advanced around the world in recent months.
Solar and wind are leading the transition, with a record 700 TWh generated in 2022. Without the added renewable energy, CO2 emissions would be over 600 million tonnes more this year, according to the IEA.
Electrek’s Take
New policies around the globe (US, Inflation Reduction Act; EU, Fit for 55; Japan, Green Transformation (GX) plan; etc.) are establishing a path for lasting carbon emission reductions.
The news is significant, showing that if we continue down this path, we can control our fate. Instead of relying on a market-based commodity like natural gas or oil to drive the global economy, renewable energy and EVs offer a superior alternative.
We are still in the early stages of rolling out renewable energy sources and EVs globally. However, the IEA’s report indicates the progress is working. If we continue expanding renewable energy sources while transitioning to EVs as planned, this is likely the start of a new trend.
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![Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/54629423281_6315c46dff_k.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!
In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.
Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.
Stay tuned for more!
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The numbers are in and they are all bad for Tesla fans – the company sold just 5,000 Cybertruck models in Q4 of 2025, and built some 30% more “other” vehicles than it delivered. It just gets worse and worse, on today’s tension-building episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got day 1 coverage of the 2025 Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix, reports that the Tesla Optimus program is in chaos after its chief engineer jumps ship, and a look ahead at the fresh new Hyundai IONIQ 2 set to bow early next year, thanks to some battery specs from the Kia EV2.
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Tesla has launched its new Oasis Supercharger, the long-promised EV charging station of the future, with a solar farm and off-grid batteries.
Early in the deployment of the Supercharger network, Tesla promised to add solar arrays and batteries to the Supercharger stations, and CEO Elon Musk even said that most stations would be able to operate off-grid.
While Tesla did add solar and batteries to a few stations, the vast majority of them don’t have their own power system or have only minimal solar canopies.
Back in 2016, I asked Musk about this, and he said that it would now happen as Tesla had the “pieces now in place” with Supercharger V3, Powerpack V2, and SolarCity:
All of these pieces have been in place for years, and Tesla has now discontinued the Powerpack in favor of the Megapack. The Supercharger network is also transitioning to V4 stations.
Yet, solar and battery deployment haven’t accelerated much in the decade since Musk made that comment, but it is finally happening.
Last year, Tesla announced a new project called ‘Oasis’, which consists of a new model Supercharger station with a solar farm and battery storage enabling off-grid operations in Lost Hills, California.
Tesla has now unveiled the project and turned on most of the Supercharger stalls:
The project consists of 168 chargers, with half of them currently operational, making it one of the largest Supercharger stations in the world. However, that’s not even the most notable aspect of it.
The station is equipped with 11 MW of ground-mounted solar panels and canopies, spanning 30 acres of land, and 10 Tesla Megapacks with a total energy storage capacity of 39 MWh.
It can be operated off-grid, which is the case right now, according to Tesla.
With off-grid operations, Tesla was about to bring 84 stalls online just in time for the Fourth of July travel weekend. The rest of the stalls and a lounge are going to open later this year.
Electrek’s Take
This is awesome. A bit late, but awesome. This is what charging stations should be like: fully powered by renewable energy.
Unfortunately, it will be much harder to open those stations in the future due to legislation that Trump and the Republican Party have just passed, which removes incentives for solar and energy storage, adds taxes on them, and removes incentives to build batteries – all things that have helped Tesla considerably over the last few years.
The US is likely going to have a few tough years for EV adoption and renewable energy deployment.
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