If you read any articles about whether Electric Vehicles are really green and are better than vehicles that use petrol or diesel as their fuel, then you would find that almost all of them agree on the fact that they are indeed better as they don’t use fossil fuels as their go to energy fuel, and they also have zero tailpipe emissions.
Even though everything may seem so great about Electric Vehicles, there are always some downsides to everything. Today, we will dig deeper into how green Electric Vehicles exactly are and uncover the truth.
What is an Electric Vehicle?
An Electric Vehicle is a revolutionary engineering that marked the inception of automobiles being produced without an engine and also does not require fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) as energy for generating power.
As it does not have an Engine, the only energy source for Electric Vehicles is a Battery that is further attached to an Electric Motor that powers the wheels of the automobile.
What are Hybrid Vehicles? How are they different from Electric Vehicles?
The main difference between a Hybrid and an EV is that the latter does not have an engine whereas a hybrid vehicle has both an engine and also an electric motor. The car takes power from both the engine as well as the electric motor. The battery that powers the electric motor is smaller in capacity and charges through the engine and can produce a reasonable amount of power that channels through the wheels to make the car move. Hybrids are also fuel efficient as they continuously switch between the engine powering the vehicle and the electric motor.
What goes into making Electric Vehicles?
EVs except for having an engine, share the same parts as that of a normal vehicle. Although the body structure, suspensions, braking system, and other different functions between the two might be same, what really differs is what the vehicles use as fuel for power.
The major component of an electric vehicle is the Battery. The lithium-ion batteries that are present in EVs are manufactured by mining Lithium from the surface of the earth. The major reserves of Lithium are present in Chile, Australia, Argentina, and China (data according to USGS).
Is Lithium Mining less harmful to the environment than Fossil Fuel Mining?
The carbon dioxide and other gases that are emitted in the process of Lithium mining or extraction are far worse for the climate when compared to producing fossil fuel powered vehicles. Manufacturing a car battery takes a lot of (mainly not clean) energy and results in harming the environment in one way or another.
How much pollution do Electric Vehicles make?
Although EVs don’t emit any gases from their tailpipes, their manufacturing does release some level of pollution. The amount of pollution emitted by the manufacturing of EV Batteries depends on the capacity of the same.
Almost 4 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide alone is released during the manufacturing process of a single electric vehicle. In order to achieve the break-even point, the vehicle must be driven for 8 years to offset the initial emissions.
Not to forget the fact that the batteries of Electric Vehicles do require charging after some time of use. Now, to recharge the batteries, the electricity generated is from the burning of coal as it is the largest source of electricity globally. This means that our dependency on electricity would increase drastically if we were to switch from normal cars to Electric Vehicles. While other electricity sources such as Nuclear, Wind, Solar, Dams, etc. might not emit carbon while they are generating electricity but during their manufacturing process, a lot of carbon was emitted.
How long does an Electric Vehicle’s Battery last?
Depending on the country, the warranty given on batteries varies from three years to eight years. Batteries have a tendency to degrade over time which means a five year old battery might not be that efficient when compared to a newer one. You would notice a delay in charging, and a reduction in the range of the vehicle. A simple way to estimate the durability of an Electric Vehicle’s battery is to see the promises made by the manufacturers.
What after an Electric Vehicle’s Battery Dies?
When an EV’s battery loses all its efficiency to hold charge and channel energy, it is said to be a dead battery. Now, a battery usually starts becoming inefficient after its warranty expires, not including manufacturing defects. After your battery becomes dead, you are compelled to install a new one, mind you, the replacements aren’t cheap and they could even make up to 50% of your vehicle’s value depending on the manufacturer.
The dead battery now gets sent to be recycled, the current cost of recycling lithium is far more expensive than the process of extraction through mining. The process of recycling depends on the type of battery but generally, the parts are turned into fine powers to extract raw materials like lithium, nickel, and manganese.
Electric Vehicles VS Petrol Vehicles
Let’s talk about the various differences between an EV and a Petrol / Diesel Vehicle.
- Cost- EV’s are generally priced at a premium when compared to a normal vehicle. The major reason is the cost of the battery pack. Although the government might offer you some subsidies, the cost would still be higher than its petrol model.
- Maintenance- As an EV doesn’t have an engine, this results in less maintenance. But they are still complex machines that do require regular fluid changing, and also replacement of tyres, brake pads, brake discs, etc.
- Running Cost- The cost of running a petrol vehicle is usually seven to eight times more than that of Electric Vehicles. This makes them more efficient if you generally travel more but there is still a drawback that is covered in the following point.
- Practicality- While it takes less than 2 minutes to fill an empty petrol fuel tank, charging an EV battery could take more than half a day depending on the battery size. Additionally, you could find a petrol pump almost anywhere in a city, the same cannot be said about EV charging stations, as still to this day in some countries there are in very limited numbers.
- Fear- Most people driving an Electric Vehicle have what is called ‘Range Anxiety’. What this means is that they are constantly looking at the range metre of the vehicle and thinking how much range they may be left with and when they might have to charge up.
Final Verdict
Electric Vehicles do promise an optimistic path towards reducing the impact of gasses emitted by a vehicle on the environment and to help improve public health. However, addressing the impact on the environment that battery production and disposal have, improving the charging infrastructure, and also guaranteeing economic accessibility are necessary to realize the full potential of Electric Vehicles. As technology advances and sources of renewable energy become more prevalent, the balance is bound to tip in favour of Electric Vehicles, making them a linchpin of sustainable transportation.