Probe begins into questionable EV claims

Aston Martin is probing how it became implicated in a report with inaccurate comparisons of the climate harm caused by cars powered by batteries and combustion engines and widely reported by media over the last week.

One claim in the report said it took about 48,000 miles for EVs to be less polluting than conventional cars but the figure is more like 16,000 miles, according to Auke Hoekstra, a researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

Hoekstra said the report underestimated emissions from combustion-engine cars by roughly half and did not take into account fuel production and the ev chosen was a single model type.

Michael Liebreich, a clean-energy adviser and founder of BloombergNEF, wrote in a blog post that Hoekstra had “comprehensively debunked” the automakers’ report.

“Myths and misinformation about EVs slow down attempts to address climate change, they cause public money to be wasted and they destroy good investments,” Liebreich said.

Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers said the report predated his appointment in August and he had not been aware of it untill it was covered on social media and in press reports and added that Aston Martin is “fully committed to the development of both hybrid and battery electric vehicles.”

The luxury car maker last year opened its multi-million assembly plant at St Athan and said its future electric models would be built there in the coming decade.

Other companies listed on the report include Honda and McLaren.

Michael Liebreich looked into the origins of the questioned report and found it came from a newly established PR company which is linked to a senior Aston Martin employee.