If we go back a few years, electric vehicles are still rare, and today, it is more and more common to come across them on the roads or to see busy charging stations. Moreover, car rental agencies have entered their catalog of electric vehicles to meet customer demands.
It is thus possible to rent a Tesla. There are two types of electric vehicles: hybrid cars, dual motorization, an electric motor and a combustion engine which runs on gasoline, and 100% electric cars.
The latter has long been presented as the ecological solution for driving without polluting. But for some time now, their environmental aspect has been questioned. Are electric cars less polluting than thermal cars? Can they be qualified as ecological vehicles?
Less Polluting When
Driving
In operation, it is clear that the electric car is more environmentally friendly than a vehicle that needs gasoline to move forward. It does not emit CO2. Better, it does not have exhaust pipes.
But, in addition to classic pollution, driving an electric car also impacts noise pollution. Indeed, such a vehicle makes much less noise than a car that runs on a combustion engine. However, noise pollution is an essential element to be considered today. They have reached a significant level in large cities and have consequences on our physical and mental health.
The problem of
Manufacturing EVs & Recycling Batteries
If we only base ourselves on driving an electric car, the balance tip favors an ecological mode of transport. But to reach a correct conclusion on the carbon footprint of an electric vehicle and its electric side, it is necessary to consider its entire life cycle, namely its manufacture and what it becomes times out of service.
A Polluting Production
Building an ecological car requires more energy than manufacturing a thermal vehicle. Indeed, the electric motor and the battery result from a manufacturing process that is quite polluting. They need to extract materials such as lithium or manganese, which impacts the environment of the regions where the quarries are located. The transport of these materials must also be considered when calculating an electric car's carbon footprint.
Electrical Energy
Origin
The mode of production of the electricity necessary for the operation of the car is an essential element. Many countries still use hydrocarbons to generate electricity. Opting for refills using renewable energies such as solar energy would be necessary to go entirely into the ecological side.
Battery Recycling
Once out of service, the problem of battery recycling arises. These contain toxic and polluting products such as lithium, which requires a long, complicated, costly recycling process with a significant carbon impact.
Overall Impact of EVs
on the Environment
Once the ecological disadvantages of the electric vehicle have been highlighted, they must be compared to the advantages it provides, particularly the absence of CO2 emissions while driving.
Regarding the problem of recycling batteries, this should find solutions with the development of electric car models. Processes will be implemented to reduce the carbon footprint and improve recycling.
As for the pollution generated by the manufacture of an electric car, it is offset by the reduction in CO2 emissions achieved after an average of 3 years of use. The electric car is an ecological solution.
Empire Auto Group provides the best-used
vehicles in London, Ontario. Contact us for more details.
