Are electric cars really better for the environment?
Whether you already drive an electric car or are considering making the switch, you may have been wondering whether electric cars are actually better for the environment than traditional petrol and diesel vehicles.
In Tasmania, transport is responsible for 21% of our total emissions. In Hobart, over 50% of emissions are generated by road transport.
That is why at This is Electric, we are committed to supporting decarbonisation of the transport sector.
The quickest way to reduce our transport emissions is to use active and public transport.
However, these options are not available or accessible for everyone. Particularly in rural and regional areas without good public transport.
Electric cars and their huge batteries are critical to reducing our carbon emissions and tackling climate change.
However, there are valid questions about electric cars, and their impact on the environment.
In this blog, we delve into some of these concerns, including battery recycling, the mining of materials, and emissions in comparison to conventional cars.
Carbon emissions: a clear advantage
One of the most significant advantages of electric cars is their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
A standard petrol SUV produces almost 46 tonnes of carbon over its lifetime on the road.
Unlike petrol and diesel cars, EVs produce zero tailpipe emissions.
This means no exhaust smoke, no carbon dioxide, and no air pollutants. This is particularly beneficial in urban areas, where air quality is a concern.
However, it is also important to consider emissions produced through manufacturing, charging the car and disposal or recycling the battery.
While manufacturing an electric car, particularly its battery, requires more energy and emits more CO2 than producing a conventional vehicle, this is typically offset over the car's lifetime.
Studies have shown that even when taking into consideration manufacturing, electric cars still have a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to petrol and diesel cars.
See the graph below from ABC News showing lifecycle emissions of different types of cars.
This graph shows an EV saves a whopping 30 tonnes of Co2.
Source: ABC News 'Are electric cars better for the environment than fuel-powered cars'. Click on the graph to read the whole article.
This image is of an EV when it is charged from the grid (which includes fossil fuel power like coal and gas).
When an EV is charged using solar panels, they have very small-to-negligible emissions from the moment they are on the road.
The mining of materials: a complex issue
Mineral demand for heavy batteries is growing rapidly.
The International Energy Agency estimates that electric cars use 173kg more minerals such as lithium, nickel and copper than petrol cars (when ignoring steel and aluminium).
These minerals are critical for the production of rechargeable batteries (in all of our devices) and are often mined in ways that can have severe environmental and social impacts.
Amnesty International released one of the first reports exposing child labour in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in cobalt mines.
However, ethical and human rights concerns are not only a problem in the battery manufacturing industry.
The extraction of oil for driving our conventional cars requires mining too.
As reported by the Guardian, Transport & Environment (T&E), a Brussels-based thinktank, found that a petrol car will burn an average of 17,000 litres of oil in its lifetime – about 12.5 tonnes.
And Amnesty International are currently reporting on alleged human rights abuses associated with the extraction of oil in the Niger Delta.
Amnesty International also claim that problems in the battery industry have been hugely exaggerated by the fossil fuel lobby, as opponents of the energy transition.
Our focus really needs to be on ensuring and supporting local battery reuse and recycling.
Circular systems for our batteries will result in significantly lower resource extraction for electric cars, compared with their petrol or diesel equivalents.
Battery recycling: making progress
We love the waste hierarchy, and like to consider reuse before recycling.
When a battery is no longer any good for use in an electric car (on average after around 10-15 years) it still holds a lot of value and charging potential.
EV batteries are already having a second life powering homes, buildings and the grid.
According to the Electric Vehicle Council, EV batteries are expected to last another 10 or so years in their second-life applications.
Once the batteries can no longer be used, the majority of battery materials (80-90%) are likely to be recycled, and used to manufacture brand-new batteries.
The good news is that battery recycling technologies are advancing rapidly. Some of the recycling projects already operating in Australia include:
Battery recycling will drastically cut down the amount of wasted material associated with EVs, compared with burning fossil fuels, which heat the planet.
The major challenge facing EV battery recycling in Australia today is the low volumes, as most EVs are relatively new.
As more EVs are on the road, we expect to see a strong and healthy battery recycling industry emerge in Australia.
Conclusion
While electric cars present serious ethical challenges, it's important to weigh these against similar issues with petrol and diesel vehicles.
Conventional cars contribute significantly to air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions. Reliance on fossil fuels have their own environmental and ethical issues, including the impact of oil drilling and refining.
Electric cars offer an opportunity for a more circular system and a path towards cleaner and more sustainable transportation.
Continuous improvements in mining practices, battery recycling, and the overall sustainability of the supply chain are absolutely critical.
We can play a role in this by supporting initiatives dedicated to responsible sourcing of materials and environmental stewardship.