PARIS, June 15 (UPI) -- Accelerated sales of electric automobiles would only make a small dent in alleviating worldwide oil dependency, the IEA said from Paris.
Automobile and battery manufacturers are touting electric vehicles as components of the push to advance a clean-energy economy. U.S. President Barack Obama has set a goal of putting more than 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
The International Energy Agency said that if global targets for electric vehicles are met, there would be 20 million of those vehicles on the road by 2020. Despite the ambitious efforts, however, the IEA said that represents only 2 percent of the 1 billion cars expected on the roads that year.
The IEA in a May report found that energy consumption in electric motor-driven systems makes up about 19 percent of the global electricity demand, eclipsing the electricity used in lighting.
The latest IEA report on so-called myths tied to some clean-energy initiatives comes as British Gas announces an alliance with automobile manufacturer Renault.
Thierry Sybord, managing director of Renault, said in a statement that an "electric revolution" is on the horizon for British consumers.
Renault and British Gas said industry analysts predict 10 percent of the vehicles on British road will be electric vehicles in 2020.
