EVs incur a higher carbon cost to produce and current battery tech is horrible for the environment in other ways.
You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
EVs incur a higher carbon cost to produce and current battery tech is horrible for the environment in other ways.
And oil burners spew buttercups and bunnies from the tailpipes? Less cars is a better option, but many need their own transport. EVs and batteries have plenty of room to improve. Battery capacity has gone way up in last 20 years.
I've never seen buttercups or bunnies come out but maybe I'm not taking the right kind of drugs.
I didn't say gas powered cars had no environmental impact, just that it wasn't clear that EVs were a significant net improvement. In a modern car, it is MOSTLY nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor that comes out the tailpipe.
These stats show EVs being better on total carbon pretty quickly depending on the energy source https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/lifetime-carbon-emissions-electric-vehicles-vs-gasoline-cars-2021-06-29/
If you throw in fictional energy mixes it can look quite good. In the real world currently, It's 80,000 to 90,000 miles to break even and that's just carbon costs.
What is fictional there? It includes the US mix that is not 100% coal. UK is hitting 50% wind at times. Batteries can have further life in solar storage. It's all evolving, but nothing is perfect.
The 'fiction' in the article you linked were the outstanding numbers if energy production was 100% hydroelectric. Yes, the numbers may be outstanding but 100% hydroelectric isn't realistic.
It's 95% hydro in Norway, but that has impacts too. I doubt few countries are 100% coal either. Lots of factors involved, but it illustrates potential. Biofuels are not ideal, but could play a part.
Reality in the middle
100% hydroelectric Break-even: 8,400 miles
U.S. average energy mix (23% coal-fired, plus other fossil fuels and renewables) Break-even: 13,500 miles
Power scenario 3: 100% coal-fired Break-even: 78,700 miles
And who said anything about perfect? I'm simply comparing EV's NOW to gas powered vehicles NOW.
Okay. I don't know what your angle is. It seems some people had little issue with a century of oil cars plus all the roads, tyres and other infrastructure, but suddenly worry about EVs with some different issues.
Read my original response. It's not EVs themselves that worry me. It's forcing people to buy them that bothers me. It's giving the wealthy tax breaks to buy them that bothers me. It's government interference in the market that bothers me.
Everyone should get financial incentives to change. A totally free market would be a bad thing IMHO as profit will override ethics. Yes, some politicians are corrupt. They are human, like us.
When EVs are better, people will buy them and that's fine.
This doesn't address the impact of batteries (disposal, recycling costs, lithium mining, etc.)