Is it Zero emission if its electric ?

Yesterday BMW announced its Mini EV scooter in 2010 Paris Auto Motor show. The buzz was that it is iPhone ready  which actually let you connect your iPhone to it and use as a console to operate the scooter
electronically. Looks glamorous too... Anyway, thats not the point. The point is that we the public are easily convinced by these big Car manufacturing companies that all of their electric substitutes are zero emission or emission free. But is it a valid case... It is zero emission only if the electricity generated is zero emission. This prompted me to do some digging on the source of electricity in this country.
You will not be shocked but surprised to know that majority of electricity used in this country is generated using fossil fuels; almost half using coal (Source: Department of Energy website ) Only one fifth of US electricity is provided by Nuclear power. The picture on left shows the different sources that produced electricity we use everyday.

Power plants that burn fossil fuels and materials made from fossil fuels and some geothermal power plants are the sources of about 40% of total U.S. carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
These power plants have the biggest impact on the landscape and the environment we live in. The real question is that this big push towards electric cars and scooters are going to have net positive impact or not.  I guess, electricity demand will surge in coming years as we will need to charge at least one car in our garage every night. But I am sure electricity power generation is also working to make themselves greener. As long as new sources of electricity comes from renewable energy sources, these electric vehicles will qualify as zero emission. I wish I have a  Mini e if I could afford it :(