Most people agree that electric cars are beneficial for the environment and can help mitigate the effects of global warming. But are EVs truly as environmentally friendly as we believe them to be?
Exhaust emissions from all-electric and hybrid vehicles are minimal. What this implies is that the automobiles themselves emit almost no greenhouse gases, which is excellent news for the planet. However, the amount of pollution created by your electric car depends on a number of other factors. Consider the source of the electricity in your area’s power system, the time of day you charge, the local weather, the battery-making process, and your own driving habits, among other variables.
All of the aforementioned aspects have an effect on an EV’s efficiency and hence its influence on the environment. But now, let’s take a look at each one individually.
1. Electricity Source
To power themselves, electric vehicles rely on lithium-ion batteries to produce energy via electrochemical processes, unlike gas-powered vehicles, which must burn fuel to move. All of a battery car’s propulsion comes from its battery. In low-demand situations, like city driving, a hybrid’s battery may do the work of the gas engine, reducing pollutants. Regenerative braking, wherein the vehicle’s kinetic energy is converted into electrical current and stored in the battery, is standard on most hybrids and electric vehicles and significantly improves the latter’s efficiency.
However, there is a distinct type of pollution caused by electric cars. If the power plants that feed the grid that charges these cars are run on fossil fuels, they will emit greenhouse gases that are bad for the environment. Unfortunately, coal plants are still widely used in the Midwest to generate power, despite their negative impacts on the environment. The West Coast relies less on fossil fuels and more on renewables like wind and solar to power the system, although it still uses some.
We need to reorganize the grid before electric vehicles can realize their full potential as “clean” automobiles. Coal and oil are two of the most polluting energy sources available, and they should be phased out in favor of cleaner alternatives. Until then, if the power they utilize is generated by burning fossil fuels, EVs may still contribute to harmful emissions. But make no mistake; even when powered by energy generated from nonrenewable sources, they still produce less carbon during their lifetime than gas cars.
Even if power plants are located outside of cities and humans are still emitting greenhouse gases, some believe that removing emissions from highways near households and businesses does lessen harmful air pollution. Even while this is true, greener electricity grids have the potential to further reduce pollution levels in the air. UK climate journal Carbon Brief reports that in the last three years, the country has cut carbon emissions from energy generation by over 40%. Hydroelectric and nuclear power provide nearly all of Norway and France’s energy needs. The most carbon-intensive aspect of an electric vehicle’s life cycle in nations with such a diverse energy supply is the manufacturing of EV batteries (which we’ll discuss in more detail below).
2. Charging Schedule
Energy use varies throughout the day in several US regions. Coal-fired power plants are utilized at night in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. This lowers energy expenses monetarily but increases pollutants significantly. Choosing to charge throughout the day, when electricity is often generated from greener sources, might help cut emissions.
If a public charging station is available, such as in a parking garage or at your place of employment, you may choose to use it instead of charging at home. Since most EV owners charge their vehicles at home at night, this might not be an option for them. Long-term viability is another issue with this approach. Once again, a greener grid is needed to solve this issue.
3. Weather in the Area
Electric car performance degrades at extreme temperatures. According to research conducted by Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Technology, electric vehicles’ average energy consumption increases by as much as 15% in the most harsh climate zones of the United States. It can be as much as 40 percent more energy in really cold climates. All-electric vehicles rely on lithium-ion batteries, which have a slower reaction time in cold weather and require more energy to run auxiliary electrical systems like heating. If the additional energy demand is met by power plants that rely on fossil fuels, the resulting emissions might be greater than expected.
However, battery technology for EVs is rapidly developing. Newer battery packs are being developed that can be charged faster and contain more energy. The batteries in EVs are designed to withstand high temperatures, but the vehicles themselves have cooling systems.
Reusing and repurposing batteries from EVs is another area of environmental concern. At the moment, it is both labor- and energy-intensive to salvage usable materials from used batteries for use in making brand new ones. That’s why it makes sense that just around 5 percent of lithium-ion batteries being recycled at the moment, according to an article in the Chemical and Engineering News from 2019.
4. Production of Batteries
The most polluting aspects of producing an EV are the batteries and the vehicles themselves. The Swedish Environmental Institute estimates that the power consumed during production and assembly accounts for around half of the total emissions produced by an electric vehicle’s battery during its lifespan.
The metals used to make such batteries, such as cobalt and lithium, are also a problem. Mining for these metals is a dirty business. It’s true that more pollution is created during the extraction and assembly of the components of an electric vehicle’s battery than is generated during the manufacture of a gasoline vehicle. Rare earth metal extraction is a water-intensive operation that can have negative effects on local ecosystems, human health, and animals.
Despite all of this, electric vehicles still have the upper hand when compared to gas vehicles in terms of their total emissions over the course of their lifetime. While gas cars’ emissions worsen with time, an electric vehicle that has been driven regularly for several years will continue to create little emissions. The production of the battery is the most polluting aspect of the vehicle.
There is some good news in the same study, though. In light of the meteoric rise in demand for lithium-ion batteries, researchers are devoting increased time and energy to developing effective recycling strategies. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a $5.5 million award program to encourage strategies for collecting and storing old batteries; the initiative is nearing its conclusion in 2019.
The production of the battery is the most polluting aspect of the vehicle
It is being looked into if and how these defunct EV battery packs might be used for other purposes. They have the ability to store energy for use as a backup power system for households and to provide juice for electronics that don’t require as much juice.
Volkswagen and other automakers are working on technologies that might recycle as much as 97% of the metals found in spent batteries. The negative impacts of mining on the environment might be mitigated with the implementation of efficient recycling schemes. An increased demand for new metals from used batteries would result in a slower rate of ore depletion. One of the biggest environmental impacts of EV production and use may be mitigated with a successful recycling scheme for EV batteries.
5. Behavior on the Road
What percentage of an EV’s mileage is spent in urban areas vs what percentage is spent on the highway is another determinant in how environmentally friendly the vehicle is. Compared to traditional automobiles, electric vehicles and other electrified vehicles like hybrids can reduce emissions and save drivers money over the course of their lifetimes under city driving conditions, according to studies. This is especially true in stop-and-go traffic. However, EVs only performed slightly better than gas cars in reducing pollution while costing more when driving on the highway.
