A noteworthy report from bank BNP Paribas, summarised in the Financial Times, compares the energy return on a $100bn outlay on oil and renewables where the energy is being used specifically to power electric vehicles. The analysis indicates that new wind and solar-energy projects in tandem with battery EVs will produce 6x-7x more useful energy at the wheels than will oil at $60/bbl for gasoline-powered cars and vans, and 3x-4x more than will oil at $60/bbl for those running on diesel. The conclusion is that oil cannot compete with renewables when viewed over the investment cycle unless oil prices are below $20/bbl, which would make oil investment unattractive. This is before taking credit for eliminating tailpipe emissions of carbon and noxious pollutants.
The report’s conclusion is striking – the death toll for petrol. With 36% of demand for crude oil today accounted for by cars/vans and other vehicle categories susceptible to electrification, the oil industry has never before in its history faced the kind of threat that renewable electricity in tandem with EVs poses to its business model: a competing energy source that (i) has a short-run marginal cost of zero, (ii) is much cleaner environmentally, (iii) is much easier to transport, and (iv) could readily replace up to 40% of global oil demand if it had the necessary scale. The conclusion is that the economics of oil for gasoline and diesel vehicles versus wind- and solar-powered EVs are now in relentless and irreversible decline, with far-reaching implications for both policymakers and the oil majors.
In the short run, however, the huge existing investment in oil supply makes this source competitive with renewables/EVs that require substantial infrastructure investment to bring forward new supply.