Can Electric Vehicles Help Save The Environment?

Pratik Kamdar Jun 04, 2022

It's no secret that several countries are looking to reduce their carbon footprints by adopting electric vehicles (EVs). Automobile giants like Toyota and Ford are working for carbon-neutral supply chains by 2050, encompassing dealers, suppliers and third-party logistics providers. By 2025, all new light vehicles, city buses, and light-commercial vans in Norway must be zero-emission. However, it is crucial to note that the precise CO₂ reduction achieved by switching to an electric vehicle depends on factors such as distance travelled, battery pack size, carbon intensity of the charging infrastructure, and mining emissions associated with battery components. Below is a comprehensive analysis of the several ways in which electric vehicles benefit the environment.

Emission-free Tailpipe: The primary benefit of electric vehicles is that they emit zero tailpipes (direct) emissions. Driving electric reduces pollution compared to driving gas or diesel. As EVs become more popular and widespread, battery recycling could become more efficient and reduce the need for new materials, cutting mining and production of new batteries. EVs emit less pollution over their lifetime, regardless of power source. Lower emissions protect pedestrians and the neighbourhood from dangerous pollutants. EVs are more environmentally friendly than gasoline-powered cars.

Reduced CO2 Emissions: Local air quality is adversely affected by tailpipe emissions in a direct and severe way. The CO2 emissions of electric vehicles are far lower than those of the most eco-friendly gasoline engines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, fully electric vehicles release an average of 4,450 pounds of CO2 yearly, while conventional vehicles emit more than double that amount.

Fewer Particulates: Even the newest ICE vehicles are polluting the air with hazardous particles. Asthma, heart attacks, and cancer are just a few of the ailments that can result from the release of these particles. Electrified automobiles, on the other hand, do not release harmful pollutants into the atmosphere in the same way.

Curbing Noise Pollution: Electric motors, in comparison to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and their exhaust systems, are noticeably quieter, resulting in lower levels of noise pollution. Despite the fact that gas and diesel vehicles can be equipped with muffling devices to reduce the amount of noise they produce, these mufflers typically produce more sound than the vehicles' original exhaust systems did.

Energy Efficiency: Electric vehicles convert about 77 percent of grid-supplied electricity into wheel power, according to fuel economy. Conventional gasoline vehicles convert 12–30 percent of gasoline's energy to wheel power. EVs lose less energy than gas-powered vehicles. Electric cars convert less energy due to fewer parts. Compared to gas-powered motors, this saves energy. Unlike ICE cars, electric car brakes are regenerative. This allows the car to charge the battery while braking because it runs on a generator instead of a brake pad, which transforms friction into heat.

Night Charging: Since the average amount of energy that is consumed is lower during the nighttime, this is the time of day when wind power contributes the most to the overall energy mix. As a result, electric vehicles contribute to the consumption of a greater amount of renewable energy by charging overnight as opposed to during the day. In addition to this, it plays an important role in maintaining the reliability of the electric power system.

The Environmental Difficulties Embedded in the Use of EVs

Electric cars are energy-intensive despite no pollution. Electric automobiles pollute more than normal cars. Electric car batteries are lithium-ion. ICCT data shows that building an electric car accounts for a third of its lifetime CO2 emissions. Rare metals including lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel go into EV batteries. As electric car demand develops, more battery packs are built with cobalt. Electric car lithium-ion batteries need more of this material. Cobalt consumption will reach 235,000 to 430,000 tonnes by 2030. (1.6 times global capacity). So, while cobalt availability is sufficient in the near future, given its rising demand, more mine exploration is needed, and unused electric cars, laptops, and mobile phones require cobalt recycling.

Additionally, lack of noise is another negative feature of electric vehicles, endangering blind and low-vision pedestrians. Electric cars' silent engines are hard to hear at moderate speeds. A survey found that one in three vision-impaired pedestrians had crashes or near-misses with electric cars. Noise reduction, an electric car advantage, becomes a challenge in this case.

Key Takeaways

Electric vehicles have the potential to make a significant difference in terms of air quality in urban areas. Due to the absence of a tailpipe, all-electric cars produce no carbon dioxide emissions whatsoever. This has a considerable bearing on the level of pollution in the air. Simply said, electric vehicles make it possible to have cleaner streets, which in turn makes cities and towns safer for walkers and cyclists alike. Even if only one electric vehicle is driven for a single year, the world's air will be cleaner by an average of 1.5 million grams of carbon dioxide.

Therefore, even though electric vehicles have a significant number of difficulties still to overcome, it is possible that their widespread adoption will end up being a significant help in the fight to preserve the natural world. The degree to which they will be of assistance will, however, largely be determined by the kind of vehicle that is used as well as the source of the electricity that is used.