Electronic vehicles – better known as EVs – are supposedly the future of both high-energy and high-power cars that do not produce CO2, the harmful greenhouse gas that pollutes the earth. But upon deeper inspection, EVs contain a hidden cost. In fact, simply the mining of the minerals needed to produce EVs produces tons of pollutants, and the means of extraction are often unsafe and highly unethical.
According to a new study comparing the environmental footprint of EVs and combustion engines (CEs), for the first two years taking into account the mining cost of EVs, EVs had net higher emissions in the first two years. This is due to the mechanical load of mining and refining lithium from the ground into engines. To further illustrate, the mining of one ton of lithium creates 15 tons of carbon dioxide. This mining process also consumes hundreds of millions of gallons of water, perpetuating droughts and further damaging ecosystems already ravaged by climate change. Additionally, overpumping has devastated local communities, leaving them high and dry, literally.
Unfortunately, it’s not just lithium. Cobalt is often sourced unethically from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where children are forced to mine in dangerous caves. The dust from excavation lingers in the air that the miners breathe, causing disease and birth defects in the long run. Furthermore, the Congo, infamous for its abundance of natural resources, has suffered long term impacts of resource exploitation since the early to mid 20th century under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.
The refining process is no better, producing 40-80% more CO2 than in the process of manufacturing a gas vehicle, requiring large amounts of energy, which oftentimes is sourced from fossil fuels. After all that, lithium batteries are almost never recycled, while lead-acid batteries, used in gas-powered automobiles, are easily recyclable. Hopefully, this practice in sustainability will improve in the future with many companies already promising to adhere to environmental standards more diligently.
On the other hand, gasoline isn’t easy to come by either. The drilling and extraction of the oil releases methane, another potent and harmful greenhouse gas. Then, huge factories have to transform crude oil into the usable gas that goes into cars, producing an excess of carbon emissions. Furthermore, rather than going through power lines, gas has to be transported by tankers and trucks, which themselves produce mass amounts of greenhouse gases. All the while, oil spills could happen at any time, which can have lasting effects on the unfortunate ecosystem in which they occur; these factors also get overlooked in the cost of gas cars.
However, over the engine’s lifetime, EVs outperform gas cars due to a lack of tailpipe emissions. Additionally, EVs are much more efficient in energy usage, able to convert 85-90% of its stored energy into movement compared to the 20-40% conversion rate of a gas car. This leads to EVs ultimately being two to three and a half times better for the environment than CEs.
Another factor to consider is the electricity EVs that consume. Power grids that light up China and the US are still reliant on “dirty energy”. Theoretically, in France, EVs could use more sustainable nuclear energy or other natural sources, but the reality is right now, from where EVs derive their charge is still an issue.
There are also economic considerations. The fossil fuel industry receives explicitly 725 billion dollars a year in subsidies but causes 6.7 trillion dollars in environmental damages. These subsidies drive the fossil fuel industry: Supporters of EVs claim that they will reduce CO2 emissions by 6% and have enormous economic benefits, especially for underprivileged people. The aggregate US federal EV tax credit amounted to a mere 10 billion dollars, meager compared to that received by big gas. If that money went to more sustainable energy instead of subsidies, either through innovation or credits, it could change the climate.
The path forward is bright. The amazing thing with EVs is that they can improve so much. As scientists and leaders innovate, we’ll be able to create increasingly efficient batteries that require more ethically sourced materials. We are learning how to recycle these batteries and turn the general electric grid green.
Electric vehicles are not perfect by any means. They have a huge manufacturing burden, mining footprint, and grid dependency. However, the evidence is clear: over their lifetime, EVs produce less environmental damage than their gas counterparts, and they will only get better. The question doesn’t become “do we adopt EVs?” (they are coming regardless of whether we like them or not), but “how do we make the process more sustainable?” Only when we answer that question can we create a better world.
