#5 - How green are electric vehicles?

Are electric cars really better for the environment?

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Electric vehicles are becoming more and more common on the road.

It used to feel rare to see an electric car 10-odd years ago, to the point I remember pointing them out when I’d see one (similarly with yellow cars, only no one gets a punch). But now they seem to be everywhere, which makes sense, given that in the last 10 years the number of fully electric vehicles in the UK has jumped from 3700 to 900,000.

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Electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, are fun and easy to drive, and are becoming more accessible, leading to many people making the switch from their petrol/diesel cars.

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So if they have no emissions, why are I asking if they’re really better for the environment?

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It’s true that electric vehicles have no direct emissions, but that doesn’t mean they have no carbon footprint at all, and the majority of it comes from before they even make it on the road.

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So let’s look at where the impact comes from with EVs, and evaluate really what’s best for the planet, electric or petrol? (spoiler alert, it’s the electric).

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Electric cars need to be charged, so all need batteries. We’re not talking AAAs that you put in your TV remote – EVs need large lithium-iron batteries, that include materials that have a high environmental cost, such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium.

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The mining of these raw materials isn’t a simple, environmentally friendly process.

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Nickel mining often results in habit destruction due to large-scale mining operations, having a real consequence on local biodiversity. It also can release toxic chemicals into local water sources, causing devastating water pollution.

Cobalt mines produce toxic residues, and smelting cobalt produces harmful fumes. As well as this, there are concerns around the workers involved in mining cobalt, with workers often being underpaid, and having insufficient health and safety in place.

Lithium is more straightforward to acquire, but as it is mostly produced in underground brine reservoirs it uses a large amount of groundwater that is wasted, which can be harmful to local communities.

Manganese is one of the most abundant metals on Earth and is typically mined in open-pit mines. This process causes significant air pollution, as well as polluting soil and water supply.

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The intense manufacturing process of EV batteries means that when only looking at the production of an electric car, it produces around 80% more emissions than building it’s gas-powered counterpart.

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BUT

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This is pretty much where the win ends for the traditional patrol cars.

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As mentioned before, EVs have zero tailpipe emissions.

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The average petrol car emits around 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year.

On average, a petrol car has a lifespan of 11-14 years.

If a car petrol car lives 11 years, that means 50.6 metric tons of CO2 are emitted in its life.

The manufacturing of an electric car produces between 2.5-16 metric tons of CO2 emissions on average, and will last 10-20 years.

EVs don’t have tailpipe emissions, but do still need charging which requires electricity, so their emissions as a whole when running aren’t zero, but are still nowhere near that of a gas-powered car.

These numbers are based on broad assumptions, and different research will vary, but all ultimately have the same conclusion that the emissions of electric vehicles are significantly lower than gas-powered vehicles.

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So what’s the take-home here?

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Although electric vehicles are better for the planet, there’s still a lot of work to be done in the industry to be as green as it can be.

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The mining of raw materials needed for batteries needs to be improved upon, with industry leaders needing to take responsibility to ensure they’re sourcing these ethically.

As well as this, work needs to be done to stop these batteries ending up in landfill.

The longer a battery can be used, the more sustainable it will be.

EV batteries at the end of their life can be repurposed and put to less energy-intensive uses than a car, such as electrical storage for homes and businesses.

Recycling a battery should be a last resort, but is definitely the best option when the other is it being thrown to waste. Some recycling processes can recover up to 95% of the raw materials within and can be put back to use.

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So ultimately, there is still a LONG way to go in the EV world to be more sustainable.

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But when it comes to an electric vehicle, or a gas-powered vehicle, the electrics wins every day.