Even if the electric car is driven for 90, 000 miles and the owner stays away from coal-powered electricity, the car will cause just 24% less carbon-dioxide emission than its gas-powered cousin.

WSJ: Bjorn Lomborg: Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret

If a typical electric car is driven 50, 000 miles over its lifetime, the huge initial emissions from its manufacture means the car will actually have put more carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere than a similar-size gasoline-powered car driven the same number of miles.

WSJ: Bjorn Lomborg: Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret

So unless the electric car is driven a lot, it will never get ahead environmentally.

WSJ: Bjorn Lomborg: Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret

Scott lives in California and has driven an electric car for eight years.

CNN: The new fear: Electric car 'range anxiety'

Thus, the life-cycle analysis shows that for every mile driven, the average electric car indirectly emits about six ounces of carbon-dioxide.

WSJ: Bjorn Lomborg: Green Cars Have a Dirty Little Secret