The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles.
Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast
Episode 118
Are Electric Vehicles All Their Cracked Up to Be
Every single thing we do produces some sort of environmental impact. The one area in our day to day lives that produces our largest footprint is how we travel. Personal vehicle ownership is common place around the world and vehicle travel has increased substantially over the last 70 years.
But as the world makes headway on our transition to a more sustainable lifestyle, there is a pressing movement to do away with gas powered vehicles. Consequently these days we hear more and more about electric vehicles.
But are these vehicles all they are cracked up to be. Or is their production just the next oil? Stay tuned for E118 where I will give you the pros and cons of electric vehicles.
Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E118 which is called The Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles.
In the next several episodes I am going to discuss several topics regarding our transition to a more green economy. One of the largest objectives that several world governments have is to phase out gas powered vehicles. In this episode I want to give you the basic run down on the movement toward electric vehicles, which I will refer to as EVs. There are obvious pros and cons to these, which you will soon see. Additionally, the production of EVs has a much greater environmental impact that what people realize. Some will say that EVs are our salvation from the gasoline engine while others strongly point to the dark side of EV production.
I really got to thinking about this in the past couple of weeks and questioning the truth behind many of the things I hear about EVs. I was recently impressed by a particular model when I was walking down an alley going to a local hospital when an EV went driving by and it hardly made a sound. Right off I would say that one advantage is that this type of vehicle runs very quiet.
Price range
But let’s first talk about the basic economics of an EV. I have long thought that there is no way I could every afford an EV just simply because of the purchase price. Gasoline powered vehicles these days are expensive enough.
Presently, I think one of the biggest barriers is likely the purchase price of an EV. In October 2022 the average transaction for a vehicle purchase was just over $48K. At the same time, the average price of an EV was just over $64K. Some Tesla models are well over $100K. Additionally, this price does not include typical dealer markups.
But one of the big advantages of an EV is that maintenance is a lot less expensive. There are few moving parts and no need for oil or filter changes.
Travel Range
The next concern about EVs is their average travel range. Most people think that EVs do not have enough range to take care of their daily needs. Presently, most EVs can go over 200 miles with a fully charged battery. Most models can go over 100 miles on a single over night charge. Distance traveled is affected by weather conditions. Cold weather can decrease your distance by as much as 40%. Driving distance is also going to be affected by using the air conditioner or the heater.
However, this average distance of an EV is actually more than sufficient for the daily travel needs of the average household. Roughly 85% of households travel less that 100 miles per day and many people travel less than 50 miles per day.
That said, there is enough of a concern about travel distance that some states are actually banning the sale of EVs. Wyoming is one such state. The concern is that much of the state is very rural and people typically have to travel long distances to go anywhere. In many respects this is a valid concern. Consequently, EVs are more suited for city driving where distances are typically shorter.
But you also have to consider the recharging time. EVs need at least 30 minutes of charging time to go at least another 100 miles. When you compare this to the time it takes to fill up with a tank of gas, and the fact that most modern vehicles have a range of 400 to 500 miles between refills, gasoline powered vehicles have a distinct advantage of EVs as far as range is concerned.
Charging Stations
One other next biggest concerns about electric vehicles is the lack of charging stations. And this is something that I do wonder about because the area in which I live in Colorado I have only seen one charging station. So I started doing a little research. It turns out that there are over 56,000 charging stations in the United States. However, as of 2022 there were over 145,000 gas stations.
As of August of 2022, there were almost 34,000 charging stations in the UK. By 2025 it is estimated there will be 80 K charging stations. There are currently approximately 8,400 gasoline stations in the UK. That said, as stated above, it takes at least 30 minutes to charge an EV while it only takes a couple of minutes to fill up with a tank of gas.
However, a lot of people get around these issues by having a dedicated charging station at home. You can actually charge an EV by plugging it into a regular household outlet. But if you have an EV you can charge up even faster if you have a dedicated 240 volt charging station. It is also entirely possible to charge an EV directly from solar panels, which can be done at home.
There is one area however that is going to be a challenge. If you live in the city and do not have off street parking, charging your EV can be problematic. Also if you have to park in a parking garage or you live in an apartment complex, charging an EV can be difficult.
Another potential issue is that as we transition to using more and more EVs, we are going to have to deal with the power surge generated by charging. The typical home using more electricity during the day compared to over night. Consequently, there tends to be a power surge during the day. The same would be true if everyone arrives at work and plugs in their EV. The will create a huge power surge that will have to be dealt with.
But over all, it is actually easy to find a charging station for an EV. The are many apps but some of the most commonly used are PlugShare, OpenCharge Map, and ChargeHub.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to Manufacturing
Now what about the greenhouse gas emissions. Some people believe that EVs are actually worse for the environment due to the complicated manufacturing process.
So here’s the scoop.
Several studies have been done to estimate the environmental impact of EV, starting with the manufacturing process and right through to end of life disposal and recycling. These studies have shown that the manufacturing of the typical EV does result in more carbon emissions than producing a gasoline powered vehicle. This is primarily due to the battery manufacturing. End of life disposal of EVs also results in more carbon emissions. However, even when accounting for the manufacturing and disposal, over the lifetime of an EV typical greenhouse gas emissions are lower than a standard gasoline powered vehicle.
However, the operation of an EV is not completely emission free. There is still emissions related to the wear and tear related to tires and brakes. Additionally, the majority of EV batteries are manufactured in China, South Korea and Japan which typically use fossil fuel based electricity production and not renewables. Consequently, carbon emissions are often quite high.
Carbon Emissions Related to Power Generation
The next argument against EVs is the carbon emissions associated with the electricity used for charging. After all, EVs are only as green as the electricity used to charge them.
This actually was one of the first things I thought about when a vehicle charging station was built in a small community that I frequently drive through. My first thought was that it’s great to see people using electric vehicles but if the electricity used to charge them is generated from by the use of fossil fuels, then what’s the point.
But consider for a moment the typical use of a gasoline powered vehicle. These vehicles result in carbon emissions throughout their entire life cycle. They produce carbon emissions by the burning of gasoline. Carbon emissions are generated during the extraction and manufacturing of the gasoline.
At least with an EV, once it is charged, it is not producing any emissions during its operation. Additionally, the emission generated are considerable less if an EV is charge from a renewable energy source. As renewable energy sources such as wind and solar become more common place, operating an EV produces even less impact.
What you can do if this is a concern for you is visit the EPA’s power profiler interactive web page to learn more about electricity generation in your area.
EV Batteries Require the Use of Rare Metals
Now, there is one final area I want to cover and that is the batteries used in EVs because this is potentially a significant downside. The primary metal used in EV batteries is lithium. While lithium is said to represent our quickest route away from the use of fossil fuels, there are going to be some challenges along the way.
The first commercially available lithium-ion batteries appeared on the market in the early 1990s. Since this first introduction lithium-ion batteries have essentially revolutionized every aspect of modern technology. Lithium produces safe, inexpensive, high-power density rechargeable batteries.
Lithium is actually the lightest known metal on the planet and it is now widely used in a number of electronic devices. For example, cell phones, ear buds, laptops, cars, and aircraft. For the sake of comparison, a smart phone used about 2 grams of lithium while a battery for a Telsa Model S uses about 12 kg.
Chile and Argentina are the largest produces of lithium and Bolivia has the largest known reserves. Other metals use in EVs include copper, cobalt, aluminum, nickel and sometimes manganese.
The mining of lithium, just as the extraction of any other natural resource, produces a significant environmental impact. It results in soil degradation, water shortages, loss of biodiversity and damages local ecosystems. It is said that lithium mining is going to be the next oil because is is a non-renewable resource. Consequently, this may in fact represent the dark side of our world that is quickly electrifying.
Besides the obvious impact of mining, the extraction process is also water intensive. Lithium is recovered through the used of evaporation ponds. Mining operations consume about 21 million liters of water per day. It take approximately 2.2 million liters of water to extract about one ton of lithium. The salt flats in South America, where some of the largest lithium deposits are found, is a very arid region. Crucial sources of water are now being diverted away from local communities to support mining operations. These operations not only consume water but they also produces significant contamination. Scare water resources are already producing conflict within local communities. This is likely to become worse in the future as demand for lithium continues to rise.
Another consideration is the lifespan of the battery and disposal and/or recycling.
Fortunately an EV battery is likely to last the lifetime of the car if properly cared for and maintained. The battery is typically covered in a separate extended warranty. Often that is 100,000 miles and eight years with Tesla offering a somewhat longer warranty.
The biggest problem is that battery disposal is difficult without causing some type of environmental damage. It is possible that EV batteries can be repurposed. The Volkswagen Group has actually announced plans to start a recycling project. EV batteries that are still viable can be repurposed. Those that are no longer usable can be ground to a fine powder to extract the raw materials which can then be used to make another EV battery.
The biggest concern of course is that there will no be enough lithium and cobalt on the planet to support future demands. By the year 2035 the demand for lithium is expected to increase to 3.7 million metric tons. Consequently, manufacturers are looking at less expensive, less toxic, more environmentally friendly alternatives such as iron and silicone.
Summary
For some time now I have maintained that we had better learn how to be more sustainable while we still have the choice. I feel this way because in order for us to change our future to something with a more positive outlook, we are going to have to make substantial changes to what we eat, the products we use, the clothes we purchase, how we power our homes, and even the vehicles we drive.
This is because everything we do has some sort of an impact. There are small changes that I am already starting to see. For example, the state of Colorado is set to ban single use plastic bags by January 1, 2024.
In an attempt to cut carbon emissions, several governments around the world are set to ban the production of gas powered vehicles.
The US government has plans to end the purchase of gas powered vehicles 2035 with plans to reduce emissions by 65%. The state of California has passed legislation to ban the sale of gas powered vehicles by 2035. Under that agreement, the sales of gas powered vehicles will be tapered over the next 13 years: 35% of new auto must be emission free by 2026, 68% by 2030 and 100% by 2035.
In a move to reach zero emissions by 2050 the government in the UK is set to ban the sale of petrol and diesel driven vehicles by 2030. But the UK government is also offering an incentive to make the switch through lower taxes and even a grant program to aid with the purchase of an EV.
Presently, I think one of the biggest barriers is likely the purchase price of an EV. In October 2022 the average transaction for a vehicle purchase was just over $48K. At the same time, the average price of an EV was just over $64K. Some Tesla models are well over $100K. Additionally, this price does not include typical dealer markups.
But despite the cost and the fact that the mining of lithium causes significant environmental damage and the cobalt used in EVs is toxic, big changes are coming. Despite the fact that no one is certain that we will even have enough lithium on the planet to meet the demand big changes are being pushed.
Such big changes often make people feel uncertain about the future. But as I have stated before, we have to take some steps in the right direction because we just cannot sit and do nothing. For example, even though it is possible to power the entire planet on renewable energy, there is still some uncertainty about just how that is going to happen.
In many ways, I am excited to see such changes even though it produces some uncertainty. It is difficult for even me to imagine everyone driving around in an electric vehicle. If it ever comes to that, I can only imagine how quiet it would be even in the city.
At the end of the day, we also have to always keep in mind that we live on a planet with finite resources and that includes lithium. If we are going to ever reach zero emissions we are going to have to be creative and find solutions to the many challenges we have ahead of us as we transition toward a carbon zero economy.
Well folks, that about wraps it up for this week. I hope you have enjoyed this episode. Don’t forget to check out the resources section in the transcript because I have numerous links for further reading.
And remember to join me again next week as I continue a series of several episodes that focus on our transition to a green economy.
And don’t forget to please take the time to leave me with a review. And you can also subscribe to the Adventures in Sustainable Living podcast as well as my companion blog Off Grid Living News.
Until next week, this is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.
Patrick
Resources
What Are the Downsides to Electric Vehicles?
What Are the Benefits to Electric Vehicles?
Are Electric Cars Better for the Environment?
South America’s Lithium Fields Reveal the Dark Side of Our Electric Future
Are We In Danger of Running Out of Lithium for Rechargeable Batteries?
