We cannot kickstart EVs without talking about their batteries

EVs are hailed to be a substantial solution to the climate crisis. But do they really provide a completely green significance?

Did you know that globally, transportation accounts for over a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions? By 2050, it is estimated that this number will nearly double?[1]. In 2020, despite covid, transportation emitted about 7.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere[2]. To put this into perspective, that’s almost 7 times more than Japan’s annual emissions, the fifth-largest emitter of carbon globally?[3]. Clearly, making the transportation sector cleaner and greener will contribute a great deal towards sustaining our future. The boost the EV sector is receiving all around the globe does promise that we are heading in the right direction. However, there are concerns about how “green” the sector really is. Allow us to give you an overview.

The Battery Challenge - it’s a big deal!

When it comes to electric vehicles, it is now well established that batteries are still a topic of debate. Although the EVs are highly expected to help us transition to a pollution-free transit experience, the environmental impact of the batteries is a significant concern.

The problem starts from the beginning!

Smartphones, laptops, EVs, etc., run on rechargeable batteries that are mostly made up of lithium. Not only for batteries but lithium is also used for the production of glass and ceramics?[4]. This important resource has to be mined, a process known to have a tremendous impact on the environment.

Here are the top 4 problems that need to be solved:

1. Massive water demand: When miners drill holes in the salt flats to pump up the mineral-rich brine to the surface, nearly 2 million litres of water end up being consumed to process a ton of lithium. Such a massive consumption of water comes at the cost of the local ecosystem while also impacting the farmers?[5].
2. Leaching of toxic chemicals: The mineral-rich brine that is brought to the surface is left to evaporate in the form of artificial lakes and pools. They are often left for months, threatening water bodies as toxic chemicals from the pools tend to leach into the local water supply. A particular incident happened in Tibet, where hydrochloric acid from the brines ended up killing a large number of fish in the Liqi river?[6].
3. Promotes desertification: Lithium mining is also responsible for propagating desertification. As large portions of land are required for mining, fertile sections of the land are also impacted to a great extent, affecting the local ecosystem. Lands are left barren, destroying the minerals plants need to grow, ultimately resulting in desertification in many parts of the world?[7].
4. Threat to humans: Mining waste is another problem associated with the procurement phase of lithium. The remnants such as hydrochloric acid, radioactive uranium, lime, magnesium, etc., not only pose a threat to the environment but also to humans, as they can potentially lead to cancer and other diseases?[8].

What about the end?

Besides lithium, EV batteries also consist of non-biodegradable heavy metals such as cobalt and nickel as well as manganese that can pollute soil and water[9]. Between now and 2030, it is estimated that nearly 12 million tons of lithium-ion batteries will be retiring?[10]. When retired EV batteries are not handled responsibly, they produce harmful pollutants such as hydrogen fluoride and more. The threat is real as just 20 grams of a cell phone battery can pollute 3 standard swimming pools of water! If left on land, it will continue to pollute about 1 sq km of land for nearly 50 years![11]

Evidently, as more and more EVs set foot on roads, we must deal with the battery problem as early as possible. As we manufacture more of these vehicles, a shortage of raw materials is also expected. By 2026, the world is expected to experience a shortage of Nickel, one of the raw materials used in EVs. Similarly, other minerals such as cobalt and graphite, the cathode and anode of a lithium-ion battery, respectively, are also going to become scarce as EV production surges[12],?[13]. With the world electrifying its transport means, the recovery of critical minerals, when a battery is no longer useful, is going to be crucial.

By 2030, India is targeting to have EV sales accounting for 30% of private cars, 70% for commercial vehicles and 80% for two- and three-wheelers[14]. This is with an aim to steadily decarbonise the transportation sector. To make this transition as sustainable as possible, it will be imperative for manufacturers to think about EVs’ end-of-life stage. Only about 5% of batteries are recycled in India[15]. The number has to go up to efficiently recover the useful battery constituents and deal with the raw material shortage.

A study published in Joule claims that with new recycling techniques, recycled batteries potentially perform better than their virgin forms, as they last longer and charge faster[16]. There is, thus, a huge scope here to ensure the batteries are utilised to their full potential.

Though EVs do not emit carbon emissions when on road, they cannot be considered green unless the production and management of their batteries are green. Recycling raw materials has to become a norm to make sure that resources are consumed responsibly. Such a practice will certainly help lower the EVs’ impact on the environment as well as society.

List of References

1. The Six-sector solution to the climate crisis?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
2. Global transport CO2 emissions breakdown 2020. (n.d.). Statista?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
3. CO2 emissions by country 2022. (n.d.). Worldpopulationreview.Com.?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
4. McFadden, C., Erdemir, M., Papadopoulos, L., Emir, C., & The Conversation. (2021, April 10). The “dirty” secrets behind the “clean” fa?ade of electric vehicles. Interestingengineering.Com; Interesting Engineering.?Accessed August 05, 2022.
5. McFadden, C., Erdemir, M., Papadopoulos, L., Emir, C., & The Conversation. (2021, April 10). The “dirty” secrets behind the “clean” fa?ade of electric vehicles. Interestingengineering.Com; Interesting Engineering.?Accessed August 05, 2022.
6. Katwala, A. (2018, August 5). The spiralling environmental cost of our lithium battery addiction. WIRED UK.?Accessed August 05, 2022.
7. Lithium extraction environmental impact. (2021, December 31). Eco Jungle.?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
8. Lithium extraction environmental impact. (2021, December 31). Eco Jungle.?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
9. Ezrati, M. (2021, July 25). Batteries are the next environmental challenge. Forbes?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
10. Taylor-Smith, K. (2021, April 13). How electric vehicles are increasing raw material demands. AZoM.Com. Accessed August 05, 2022.
11. TChoi, M. (2022, April 10). Shortage of EV battery raw material graphite could delay global drive to go green. South China Morning Post?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
12. PTI. (2021, October 8). ‘Aim to have 30% of 2030 car sales as EVs.’ The Hindu?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
13. Mehra, P. (2021, October 3). Recycling lithium-ion batteries for the EV era. The Hindu Business Line?. Accessed August 05, 2022.
14. Wilkerson, J. (n.d.). Recycled lithium-ion batteries can perform better than new ones.Scientific American?. Accessed August 05, 2022.