Electric cars sell like hot cakes. While it was almost 20 years since the first mass-produced models put a million battery-powered vehicles on the road, it took only five more years for the number to surpass 10 million in 2020. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 2 million new electric drives were sold. In 2030 it should be over 28 million units.
In many ways, electric vehicles (EVs) are easy to sell for the balloon middle class of the world. They are stylish, always affordable, and have zero tailpipe emissions. Even if the electricity is produced in an area using coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, an analysis by Reuters news agency suggests that electric cars in the same area will emit fewer emissions than oil-guzzling ones after less than six years of use. With the United States’ current energy mix of 20 percent renewable energy, parity can be reached in a year.
Electric vehicles also do not produce any of the toxic gases that cause urban air pollution, a leading cause of early death worldwide.
The out-of-control market appeal is juxtaposed with lofty national goals as governments find ways to develop – and achieve – more ambitious climate plans.
The United States wants half of all new cars to be electric by 2030. The European Union is aiming for a de facto ban on non-electric options by 2035. China, the world’s largest electric car market, urged manufacturers to bring two “new” cars to market Energy “cars – that run on electricity, hydrogen or hybrid fuels – for three oil-powered cars each by 2030. Others like Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore have also announced EV targets for the next several decades.
It is not a question of whether electric vehicles will overtake gasoline engines, but when. Analysts assume from 2030 to 2050.
Not a silver bullet
But behind the sleek new outfits are an environmental cost, especially in the scale on which they are built. Electric cars need more energy to build – according to a study from 2017, up to 60 percent more in China.
They also need much more unconventional materials, largely due to their huge power bricks.
The breakdown of lithium, the substance that powers car batteries, is expected to increase tenfold by 2030. The metal is currently primarily mined in Australia and Chile, but there is a global scramble to find new sources to meet the need. Five to 15 tons of carbon dioxide are emitted for each ton of lithium extracted, which corresponds to the amount produced by around three conventional cars a year.
Other key chemicals such as cobalt, which is primarily found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and nickel, which is mined in Indonesia and the Philippines, have also been linked to environmental and human rights issues.
Cleaning up EV production
Once these issues come to light, a number of solutions are suggested to address them. New companies are emerging to benefit from the huge battery recycling market – currently only 5 percent of lithium is saved. A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that old electric car batteries could be used as backup devices in solar parks for more than a decade.
The manufacturers of electric cars are also trying to clean up their game. Some have declared net zero targets for around the middle of the century, in line with what the United Nations deems necessary to avoid a climate catastrophe.
“To become more sustainable as an EV manufacturer, we really need a boost across the industry and we need to work together to make that happen,” said Fredrika Klarén, Sustainability Director at Polestar, a relatively new entrant to the EV market in 2017 The brand launched in Singapore this month.
“
To become more sustainable as an EV manufacturer we really need a boost across the industry and we need to work together to make that happen.
Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar
Polestar announced earlier this year that it would produce a car with no carbon footprint by 2030. The company’s newest model, the 100 percent electric Polestar 2 Fastback, emits over 26 tons of carbon dioxide in its manufacture. More than a quarter of the emissions come from battery production. However, these emissions are negligible when the vehicle is being driven. Charged with wind energy, its total emissions drop after 50,000 kilometers below petrol cars.
The 100 percent electric Polestar 2 Fastback. Image: Polestar
A few weeks ago, the company announced that it would be launching an open research call for net zero effort called “Polestar 0” under the direction of its former head of research and development.
Polestar said it will not use carbon offsetting and has called the move to invest in carbon-reducing measures elsewhere a “cop-out”. Instead, the company plans to use recycled materials to make batteries and other auto parts, and use renewable energy throughout its supply chain. The company currently operates one of the cleanest auto factories in China that runs on renewable energy, recycles carbon fiber waste, and does not produce industrial wastewater.
Future technologies could also help electric vehicle manufacturers. Batteries are being developed that run on sodium, a more common substance than lithium, to address mining-related concerns. Cleaner tires to handle the large number of particles that electric vehicle wheels release due to the increased weight of the car are on the horizon.
Buyers know best
At the same time, consumers place higher demands on their electric car. Not just in terms of performance, but also in terms of structure.
“We are seeing an amazing increase in demand and awareness for electric vehicles in all markets. We are also seeing in studies how this is being driven by increased awareness of environmental and climate issues and consumer desire for a more sustainable lifestyle, ”said Klarén.
For this reason, automobile manufacturers voluntarily publish life cycle assessments of their models. These reports describe the environmental impact of a product throughout its “life cycle”, from the extraction of raw materials to its manufacture, use and disposal.
Polestar published its life cycle assessment of its electric model together with its calculations in September last year. Aside from the higher emissions from production, the report also showed that with a global electricity mix of around 35 percent coal, 23 percent gas, 29 percent renewable energy and 10 percent nuclear power, the Polestar electric car had to travel 112,000 kilometers before it even breaks with an equivalent gasoline car.
“We have to be honest, even if it is uncomfortable to read,” Polestar boss Thomas Ingenlath said when the report was published.
Polestar said it is tracking its use of cobalt with blockchain technology to address mining-related human rights concerns and that monitoring will be expanded to other materials in the future. The company is part of global initiatives to halve emissions by 2030 and has set itself the goal of being “climate neutral” by 2040.
There is now a consensus – if you need a car, an electric car may be the best choice for the environment.
Thanks for reading this story to the end!
We would be grateful if you would consider joining The EB Circle. This helps keep our stories and resources free for all, and it also supports independent journalism that advocates sustainable development. For a small donation of S $ 60 a year, your help would make so much difference.
Find out more and join the EB Circle
