For the past decade or so, since electric-hybrid vehicles started popping up on the roads, there has been an ongoing conversation about whether or not electric vehicles actually help or harm the environment. The opposing sides both claim to have the statistics that prove their point, and to a consumer that is looking to shrink their carbon footprint and help the environment, it can all be very confusing.
On the one hand, EV advocates claim that, with zero tailpipe emissions, it’s a no brainer that electric vehicles will cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gases, helping to improve the health of us and the environment over time. On the other hand, those that oppose EVs look at the emissions associated with the production of the vehicles themselves and the electricity that powers them. In many places, fossil fuels are still the primary source of energy production, and producing the power required to make all our EVs run is actually hurting the environment more than if we continued the use of combustion engines. This article looks at the arguments on both sides, as well as numbers published by the Union of Concerned Scientists, to find out once and for all how EVs truly impact our environment.
Fear Fossil Fuels
Currently, combustion engine emissions are responsible for roughly 24% of the carbon pollution in the United States. Although this is a huge contributing factor to our air pollution, it is still trumped by the carbon pollution caused by smokestacks at coal-based power plants, which is the number one source of air pollution in the country. Although this may not seem like much on its own, once you consider that most of the power generated in the United States relies on fossil fuels for production, it can start to become clear why some people oppose the shift towards electric vehicles. If more drivers continue to switch over to electric power, the energy generated in power plants to power the vehicles could potentially offset what EVs save through tailpipe emissions. Once you also consider that some of the largest global vehicle markets primarily rely on fossil fuels for energy production- namely the United States, China and India- it seems like there is no possible way EVs could actually reduce overall air pollution around the world. The truth, however, is not quite as simple as that.
Sure, there are plenty of markets around the world that still rely primarily on fossil fuels for energy production, but there are also markets around the world that can boast the opposite; Norway, for example, uses hydro power to generate the vast majority of their power, and is pushing for citizens to shift towards electric vehicles as quickly as possible. Other European countries and even some South American countries, such as Brazil, also boast power grids and energy production methods that rely on cleaner, renewable energy sources like water, sun, wind, and so on. On top of that, countries like the United States which don’t have as efficient of power grids and energy production means are constantly working to improve their production methods. Think about it- the automotive industry isn’t the only industry which we use fossil fuels for, and we know we don’t have enough fossil fuels to last forever. As time goes by, more and more energy production systems around the world are improving to become cleaner and more efficient, which is great news for the electric vehicle market.
According to the Scientists…
To get to the bottom of this debate once and for all, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), an independent non-profit group of scientists aimed at uncovering the truth and monitoring the health of us and our environment, conducted experiments to compare the overall lifetime pollution of electric vehicles and traditional combustion vehicles. By collecting and comparing lifetime emission data from production to the end of the vehicle’s life span, they are able to accurately gauge which type of vehicle actually does produce more carbon pollution to give us a definitive answer on the cleanest vehicles available today. Keeping in mind that, just like traditional combustion cars, electric vehicles can come in different efficiencies, ranging from needing 28 kWh of power to drive 100 miles to needing 35+ kWh of electricity to travel 100 miles, the UCS came to the following conclusion:
“We found that battery electric cars generate half the emissions of the average comparable gasoline car, even when pollution from battery manufacturing is accounted for. Manufacturing a midsized EV with an 84-mile range results in about 15% more emissions than manufacturing an equivalent gasoline vehicle. For larger, longer-range EVs that travel more than 250 miles per charge, the manufacturing emissions can be as much as 68% higher. These differences change as soon as the cars are driven. EVs are powered by electricity, which is generally a cleaner energy source than gasoline. Battery electric cars make up for their higher manufacturing emissions within eighteen months of driving — shorter range models can offset the extra emissions within 6 months — and continue to outperform gasoline cars until the end of their lives.”
According to what the UCS found, both sides of the argument are right to an extent. Yes, the production of EVs and the electricity that makes them run does cause more pollution up front, however driving the vehicle for less than two years offsets the initial pollution caused creating the vehicle. It’s likely that the pollution caused by manufacturing these vehicles and their power will decrease further in the future as manufacturers refine the techniques used in making the batteries and various other electrical components necessary for an electric vehicle.
To further illustrate, a report from the Vehicle Technologies Office of the US Department of Energy reads:
“An all-electric vehicle (EV) does not produce emissions from the tailpipe, but there are upstream emissions (also called well-to-wheel emissions) of greenhouse gases from electricity production. Using electricity production data by source and state, the Alternative Fuels Data Center has estimated the annual carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions of a typical EV. The national average is 4,815 pounds of CO2-equivalent emissions for a typical EV per year as compared to the average gasoline-powered car which produces 11,435 pounds of CO2-equivalent emissions annually.”
Here we can clearly see that, for every year spent on the road, electric vehicles produce less than half the carbon emissions produced by a traditional combustion engine. Both types of vehicles require roughly the same amount of energy and cause the same amount of pollution to dispose of at the end of their life cycles. The biggest difference is that an estimated 95-99% of materials in EV batteries can be recycled, which will obviously help to reduce emissions if recycled properly and reused in the most efficient way.
Another Kind of Green
There’s one last way that EVs can be green for drivers, and that’s in the wallet. Now, take this with a grain of salt, as the price of power, though typically more stable that gasoline, can vary greatly depending on where you live. Some places, like California, Texas and others that are pushing towards more sustainable energy production, may enjoy the ability to recharge their car for dollars less per charge than someone in the Midwest or elsewhere that still primarily uses fossil fuels for power production. On average, however, EV drivers will save more money over time compared to drivers that need to refuel at the pump. In fact, a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute found that, on average between 2015-2016, gasoline drivers spent about $1,400 a year on gasoline for their cars. During the same time period, EV drivers spent only $540 throughout the year on average to keep their car charged, with both groups driving 15,000 miles. The university conducted a similar study in 2018 and reached the same conclusion- it usually costs about half as much to fuel a modern EV than it does your average gas car for a year. That’s some seriously green energy is you ask me.
Overall, there are a lot of factors that go in to making a vehicle clean and affordable. Although they may cause more pollution in manufacturing and power prices aren’t uniform around the globe, EVs are the cleaner, more affordable vehicle choice in the long run more often than not. As global markets continue to upgrade power grids and manufacturing techniques, it’s reasonable to think that an electric future could be on the horizon for the automotive industry. In the meantime, if you’re looking to help the environment and cut back on your fuel costs, consider buying electric when it’s time for a new ride.
At Holbrook Auto Parts, we believe that it is every driver’s responsibility to do what they can to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. Even if you aren’t ready to switch to an electric vehicle, you can do your part to help by properly recycling your car at the end of its life cycle and buying used parts for it when it needs repairs. Not only will you save money, but you can greatly reduce the pollution associated with part fabrication by purchasing pre-owned parts from a trustworthy retailer like Holbrook Auto Parts!
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