i'm confused. you say "those wind turbines" but we're talking about loads, not generators.
on average, the world has less than 15% of its energy needs met by renewables.

incidentally, the us has the second most intstalled solar capacity of any single country, about 2/3rds that of europe.

wind turbines seem to average at 10kg CO~2~eq/MWh over their lifetime, but since they are not "plannable" power you always need something else to meet demand. if that something else is a gas peaker plant (490kg CO~2~eq/MWh), you're screwed emissions wise.

Edit: Here's a chart of the total CO~2~eq for the different regions of the world. using the 2021 EU number of 235g/kWh, 26 tonnes of total charging emissions would require you to fully charge a 2021 polestar 2 standard range 26 000 000g ÷ 235g ÷ 64kWh ≈ 1728 times, which would give the car a lifetime of between four and sixteen years, depending on your driving style (lower end you charge it every day, which is not realistic, higher end you charge once or twice a week). if we use the 2021 world average of 369g, that gives us 1101 full charges, or 3-10 years depending on driving style.

Estimating carbon dioxide emissions from gas plants - Global Energy Monitor

The following factors are used to estimate the CO2 emissions from gas-fired power plants:

^{Global Energy Monitor}

I wanted to double-check my numbers so i found a reddit thread asking people how often they charge their cars, and tried to extract info from it using mistral (so take it with a grain of salt. it gave sources but i managed to close the page after screenshotting).
::: spoiler transcript

User: how many times a week do people in this reddit thread charge their cars on average? old.reddit.com/r/electriccars/…

Mistral: In the Reddit thread you linked, most EV owners report charging their cars about 2–3 times per week on average. Many users mentioned plugging in their EVs at home whenever convenient, often overnight, rather than waiting for the battery to run low. Some charge daily out of habit, while others charge every few days depending on their driving needs and battery range. The majority have access to home charging, which makes frequent top-ups easy and convenient.

Charging Frequency (from user comments):

• About 30–40% of users charge daily, often overnight at home, regardless of battery level.
• Another 30–40% charge 2–3 times per week, usually when their battery drops below a certain range (e.g., 100 miles or 50%).
• The remaining 20–30% charge less frequently, such as once a week or only when needed for longer trips.

Typical Charging Behavior:

• Many users set their charge limit to 60–80% for daily use to preserve battery health.
• Some Tesla owners (especially with LFP batteries) keep their cars plugged in most of the time, charging to 100% without issue.
• Users with shorter commutes (e.g., <50 miles/day) often charge every 2–3 days, while those with longer commutes or less efficient EVs charge daily.

Range Added per Charge:

• Short Commutes (<50 miles/day): Many users add 50–100 miles per charge, often charging every 2–3 days.
• Moderate Use (50–150 miles/day): Users in this group typically add 100–200 miles per session, charging daily or every other day.
• Longer Trips or Less Frequent Charging: Some users add 150–300 miles, charging once a week or as needed.

Summary Table (Based on Thread Comments)

Inference: Most home chargers add enough range to cover their daily driving, rarely letting the battery drop below 20–30%. The data is sufficient to infer that 50–150 miles per charge is the norm for regular use.

User: how about car models? are there enough mentions of which model people drive that we can figure out the average number of kWhs used per capita from the added range and the size of the battery of the mentioned models?

Mistral: The Reddit thread does mention several specific EV models, and we can use their battery sizes and the reported range added per charge to estimate average kWh used per person. Here’s what we know:

Commonly Mentioned Models & Battery Sizes

From the thread, the most frequently mentioned models include:

• Tesla Model 3 (Standard/Long Range): ~50–82 kWh
• Tesla Model Y (Standard/Long Range): ~60–81 kWh
• Hyundai Kona Electric: ~39–64 kWh
• Chevy Bolt: ~65 kWh
• Ford Mustang Mach-E: ~68–98 kWh
• Nissan Leaf: ~40–62 kWh

Reported Range Added per Charge

• Most users add 50–150 miles per charge.
• A few add 150–250 miles (usually for longer trips or less frequent charging).

Estimating kWh Used per Charge

Using the EPA efficiency ratings (miles per kWh) for these models, we can estimate kWh used per charge:

Note: Efficiency varies with driving conditions, but these are reasonable averages.

Average kWh Used per Charge (Per Capita)

• For 50–100 miles added: ~15–35 kWh per charge
• For 100–150 miles added: ~25–50 kWh per charge

Most users fall in the 20–40 kWh per charge range, depending on their model and daily needs.

User: using the data on this page iea.org/reports/electricity-20… can we create a table for how much emissions each car would produce while charging in the listed regions? use the 2021 number.

Mistral: Here is a table estimating the CO2 emissions per 100 km for common EV models when charged in different regions, using 2021 CO2 emissions per kWh data from the IEA and typical battery sizes and efficiencies:

CO2 Emissions per 100 km for EVs by Region (2021 Data)

Notes & Assumptions

• CO2 per kWh (2021): EU ~250g, US ~380g, China ~550g, India ~700g.
• Energy use per 100 km: Based on EPA/real-world efficiency for each model.
• Calculation: (CO2 per kWh) × (kWh per 100 km) = kg CO2 per 100 km.

Key Takeaways

• EU and US: Lower emissions due to cleaner electricity grids.
• China and India: Higher emissions due to coal-heavy grids.
• Efficiency matters: More efficient cars (like the Tesla Model 3) emit less CO2 per km, even in high-emission regions.

User: data from polestar and rivian lifecycle analyses in 2021 estimates that over its lifetime, the electricity used by an "average" electric vecicle produces a total of 26 tonnes CO2eq. using the data we now have, can we estimate lower and upper bounds for the age of the mentioned models where they would have "produced" 26tCO2eq in different regions?

Mistral: Let’s use the kWh per charge and CO2 per kWh by region from our earlier tables to estimate how many years it would take for the mentioned EV models to reach 26 tonnes CO2eq from charging alone, based on typical charging habits.

Recap of Key Data

• kWh per charge (typical): 20–40 kWh
• CO2 per kWh (2021):
  
  • EU: 250 g
  • US: 380 g
  • China: 550 g
  • India: 700 g

  
  

• Charging frequency: 2–3 times per week (104–156 charges/year)

Calculations

1. CO2 per Charge (kg)

• EU: 20–40 kWh × 0.25 kg = 5–10 kg CO2/charge
• US: 20–40 kWh × 0.38 kg = 7.6–15.2 kg CO2/charge
• China: 20–40 kWh × 0.55 kg = 11–22 kg CO2/charge
• India: 20–40 kWh × 0.70 kg = 14–28 kg CO2/charge

2. Annual CO2 from Charging

• EU: 5–10 kg/charge × 104–156 charges = 520–1,560 kg CO2/year
• US: 7.6–15.2 kg/charge × 104–156 charges = 790–2,371 kg CO2/year
• China: 11–22 kg/charge × 104–156 charges = 1,144–3,432 kg CO2/year
• India: 14–28 kg/charge × 104–156 charges = 1,456–4,368 kg CO2/year