Electric Vehicles: Are They Really as Environmentally Friendly as We Think?
EVs are getting more and more popular, and it looks like they’re the future of transportation. One of the reasons for this is that they’re good for the environment, since they don’t produce tailpipe emissions. But it’s important to think about where the electricity to power EVs comes from, because that can make a big difference in how green they really are.
EVs Adoption
In 2019, China had the most EVs on the road, with 33 million, followed by the US with 14 million. But China’s EV market share was only 3.9%, much lower than Norway’s (45.9%), the Netherlands’ (15.2%), and Sweden’s (5.1%). The US ranked 10th with a market share of just 1.5%.
China and the US together make up 21% of the world’s population, so even though their EV market share is low in their respective countries , it still has a big impact on the global EV market.
Fossil Fuels
Most countries still use fossil fuels to generate electricity, mostly coal, gas and oil. In 2022, fossil fuels made up about 61% of the world’s electricity production, with coal and gas contributing to more than 50% of the total output.
The top three countries in the world for electricity consumption are China, the US, and India. These countries use a lot of fossil fuels to generate electricity, more than 80% in fact.
- United States with 88.8%
- China with 82.17%
- India with 82%
This makes me wonder how green EVs really are. They’re advertised as being great for the environment, but many countries that are adopting them the fastest, like China and the US, mostly use fossil fuels to generate electricity.
So, as more and more people switch to EVs, will that lead to more “dirty” energy being used?
Driving Competition with Incentivization
CO2 emission standards for cars, like the Euro CO2 emission standard, often give incentives for zero-emission vehicles, like electric cars, to help carmakers reduce their emissions.
As these standards get stricter, carmakers have to find ways to comply. Some may find it tough to keep up and may even cheat.
Switching to electric cars might seem like a no-brainer for carmakers, since they don’t have to worry about emission tests anymore. But that’s changed.
With the surge in demand for electric cars, driven by government incentives and carmakers themselves, there’s a worry that power plants may now emit more CO2 to meet the increased demand for electricity. This could potentially erase the environmental benefits of electric cars altogether.
Lithium battery
Electric vehicle batteries are key to sustainable transportation, but they’re not perfect. Mining and processing the metals and minerals in EV batteries, like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, can harm the environment.
Mining these materials takes a lot of energy and water, and it releases toxic emissions. This makes manufacturing EVs more energy-intensive than manufacturing traditional gas-powered cars.
Conclusion
Switching to EVs as a more environmentally friendly way to get around is complicated. EVs don’t produce tailpipe emissions when they’re driving, but the electricity they use and the environmental costs of making them and their batteries can’t be ignored.
I hope we can use more sustainable and renewable energy sources like wind, hydropower, and solar power, and reduce the environmental damage from making lithium batteries to make the whole EV lifecycle more sustainable and realistic.
Thank you for reading, peace.
