ARE ELECTRIC CARS GREEN?

Due to concerns around natural resource depletion, manufacturers and buyers prefer more environment-friendly options, and the same goes for cars. A few years before, electric vehicles were wishful thinking. But now, they are acknowledged as the future of station wagons.

In fact, many developed countries have announced the future dates after which they will ban the use of combustion engine vehicles. To support this, top-notch auto manufacturers, like G.M, have planned to shift to electrical in the next 15 years. Also, the Indian government are motivating

people to buy e-cars by offering beneficial subsidiaries under various schemes.

However, this sudden switch leaves the conventional gas users in mayhem. Many people raised contradicting and intriguing questions regarding the pollution-free environment with the sudden revolution, which we cannot ignore.

Studies suggest while manufacturing an electric car creates, on average, double impact on global warming plausibility. Also, it consumes twice the energy and resources to produce a single wagon compared with a conventional car.

So, Are we really sure electric cars are green? Let us check out some interesting points that are vital yet controversial for the existence of electric vehicles:

BATTERIES

Electric cars run on batteries, while on the other hand, combustion engines require to burn fossil fuels to function the conventional vehicles. Hence batteries are their only lifeline.

Technically, electric car batteries are different from SLI (starting, lightening, and ignition), which we use in gasoline or diesel cars. In electric vehicles, manufacturers use lithium-ion, lead-acid, and other types of batteries.

Manufacturing batteries for electric cars require additional resources and energy. The carbon footprint from current electronic vehicle production is greater than the production of internal combustion engines.

The large batteries of electric vehicles, Lithium-Ion, are mined. The mining of lithium produces lots of greenhouse gases. Also, we use toxic chemicals to manufacture lithium-ion batteries that are usually non-recyclable and cause harmful effects when emitted.

This problem is going to rise unless the manufacturing process gets efficient. Thus, battery production for an electric vehicle is much more detrimental to the environment.

DECARBONIZING

Decarbonizing means reducing the emission of carbon intensity, especially from the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels produce a significant amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, which causes global warming. With the anticipated increase in transportation demand in the coming decades, it is essential to deplete carbon emissions.

Electric cars run only on electricity emitting zero gases. However, the power plant generates electricity, which runs on fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, or nuclear gas. Thus, indirectly we are again relying on fossil fuels and natural resources to emit energy for the short run.

Electric vehicles are here to help in decarbonizing transport and electric supply. Zero tailpipe emissions and flexibility of charging and discharging the batteries help in maintaining the carbon footprint.

IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

The production of electric cars uses lots of energy. For producing an electric locomotive, the manufacturers use elements like aluminium (to reduce battery weight), copper (used in electrical systems), lithium, and some rare-earth materials.

Like we said earlier, the usage and consumption of resources in producing an electric car is twice that of a conventional one. Thus, excess production of these elements causes depletion of natural resources that are already near to extinct.

Despite all this, electric cars are still greener because of their advantage of zero tailpipe emissions.

FINAL THOUGHTS

In the foreseen future, electric cars will be of utmost importance to urban transportation. In suburban houses with driveways and garages, charging the electric vehicle is easy, unlike in cities. We need to build public charging stations like parking lots and garages.

Also, the sale of electric cars is increasing rapidly. In the last decade, there was a sale of 2.3 million electric vehicles globally. On the other hand, In India, a lack of public charging stations and higher prices of electric cars have hindered the purchases.

Electric cars are environmentally friendly. With gradual improvements, electric vehicles might take over the market for good. As our enthusiastic and visionary businessman, Elon Musk, said, “We will not stop until every car on the road is electric.”