Electric Cars Leading the Charge for Environmental Progress. But Are They Truly Greener?
To meet their climate targets, several nations have prioritized the transition to electric vehicles. 17 nations have so far committed to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2050 or to achieve 100% zero-emission vehicle targets.
The US and China, the two economies with the most potential in the world, are vying with one another to dominate the EV market.
In the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sector, China has over 400 registered brands and over 500,000 electric buses, making up an astounding 98% of the global total. The California Energy Commission projects that by 2030, there will be about 7.5 million EVs on the road, which has spurred a rush to construct 1.2 million chargers to meet the state’s fuel need for EVs.
To achieve zero emissions by 2050, the UK has announced that new petrol and diesel cars will not be sold after 2030. Hong Kong’s overall carbon footprint would be reduced from the current 7.4 million metric tons to 1.4 million metric tons if all vehicles were electric.
The Effect of EV Batteries on the Environment
When evaluating the environmental impact of electric vehicles, it’s critical to consider the carbon footprint left by their batteries. It is well known that the initial environmental impact of the production of electric vehicles (EVs) is higher than that of internal combustion engines, mainly due to the creation of batteries for EVs.
The most popular EV batteries, lithium-ion batteries, are made of two energy-dense raw materials: cobalt and lithium. Mining for these two metals has also hit record highs to supply the rapidly increasing demand.
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Experts believe there is sufficient material to meet the needs of the lithium-ion battery sector, even if demand is predicted to increase from roughly half a million metric tonnes in 2021 to roughly three million metric tonnes in 2030. The effects of drilling for this metal on the ecosystem are even more problematic. The technique of mining lithium is well known for having severe negative environmental effects.
Within the region known as the “lithium triangle,” which includes Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina, is located almost three-quarters of the world’s lithium reserves. Water loss is one of the most alarming environmental problems associated with this heavy mining for lithium extraction.
Up to two million liters of water are needed to extract one tonne of lithium. The frequency of droughts and desertification increases as the area’s water supplies diminish. Furthermore, around 15 tonnes of CO2 emissions are produced for every tonne of lithium mined since a large portion of the energy required to collect and process lithium originates from fossil fuels.
Are Electric Vehicles Going To Be Equally Responsible?
10% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are caused by internal combustion (IC) engines running on fossil fuel oil. Mined petrol is needed to power non-electric cars, much like lithium is needed to make batteries.
But in this instance, the bulk of emissions—which include not just greenhouse gases but also methane and nitrous dioxide—come from the refinement process after the crude oil has been produced. Even though the claim that oil would still be mined for other purposes whether or not we convert to electric vehicles is frequently made, it is indisputable that the phase-out of gasoline-powered vehicles will lower demand and, consequently, emissions associated with this industry.
Although electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, the actual amount of pollution they produce varies depending on where they acquire their electricity. When combined with a low-carbon electrical sector, EVs offer a significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Yet, worries about EV emissions throughout their lifetimes are greatly declining as renewable energy sources spread around the globe at an exceptionally rapid rate.
Conclusion
The quantity of used batteries increases with the industry. It is becoming more and more problematic because not enough of them are being properly kept or recycled. The amount of batteries used in electric vehicles that will be retired by 2030, according to the IEA, will almost match the amount of batteries produced annually at this time.
To keep this from developing into a major environmental burden, the industry must devise practical solutions for handling such amounts. An analysis of data from 2021 revealed that just 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled. This is quite concerning, since over 90% of cobalt and nickel may be readily extracted.
