The Truth About Electric Vehicles
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Diveesha Vanchireddy
Electric vehicles are the new buzzwords in the automotive industry. If you’ve ever thought about switching to an EV you're not the only one! I mean what’s so bad about a shiny new Tesla? The invention of electric vehicles is definitely something we should appreciate as a step toward sustainability but it does not completely solve all of our ecological problems.
PROBLEM #1: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
They say “GO GREEN” with EVs but to what extent are they green?
It’s a well-known fact that electric vehicles are better than traditional gasoline vehicles in many ways; it has a lesser carbon footprint on the environment. In 2020, researchers from the University of Cambridge, Exter, and Nijmegen in the Netherlands found that in 95% of the world driving an electric car is better for the environment than driving a gasoline-powered car; however, isn't a vehicle only as good as its resources? One must consider all the factors before coming to a conclusion. For instance, we call an electric vehicle “ecological” because it emits fewer greenhouse gases than coal, but has one ever questioned where the energy to power these vehicles has come from? According to the International Energy Agency, “Unbated fossil fuels currently account for over 60% of total global electricity generation,” so electric vehicles are still indirectly running on these harmful fueling resources. We also need to take into account the emissions generated by the production of electric vehicles, especially the emissions generated from battery production. Florian Knobloch, a fellow at the Cambridge Centre of Environment, Energy, and Natural Resource Governance said, “Producing electric vehicles leads to significantly more emissions than producing petrol cars. Depending on the country of production, that’s between 30% to 40% extra in production emissions, which is mostly from battery production.”
PROBLEM #2: MONEY
People also prefer to buy electric vehicles because they think that it's cheaper to maintain them rather than constantly paying for gas. But the initial investment is very steep, even the more affordable brands can be around $30,000-$40,000 and if you are looking for a luxury option you may be paying over $80,000. You’d end up paying $10,000-$50,000 more for an electric vehicle than you would if you were to purchase a gasoline-powered car. Electric vehicles can also be a hassle on your energy bill if you haven't done your research. According to Shipley Energy, an electric car could add $45 to your electricity bill each month. So, it's been a few years and you are thinking of selling your vehicle, but it might not be that simple. Since EVs run on batteries it's natural for them to lose their ability to store energy over time, so you would have to replace the batteries before selling them; The estimated cost of this is about $18,000. Long story short, electric vehicles are expensive!
SOLUTION
Now, I am not trying to say that gasoline vehicles are better or put down electric vehicles. In fact, electric vehicles have their own advantages like reduced greenhouse emissions, convenience, and a long driving range, but we can agree that they still haven't reached their full potential. With the majority of electricity grids still powered with fossil fuels, the bare cost to purchase an electric vehicle, in addition to the pollution caused to manufacture some of the parts, are some drawbacks to it. Some possible solutions to overcome these problems are:
Consumer-friendly government policies
The government should have policies that encourage consumers to purchase electric vehicles by offering them tax credits. They should also make necessary laws to prevent private companies from monopolizing the market.
Shift to renewable resources
Since all electric vehicles run on electricity, it is implied that in order to reduce pollution we have to shift our fossil-powered electric grids to sustainable sources of energy like solar, hydropower, and other renewable sources. It's impossible to initiate an immediate switch, but we can gradually move our way toward an environment run majorly by renewable resources.
Having said all this, we have come a long way in the field of transportation, from burning fossil fuels to switching to electric vehicles. But, as always, there is something to improve on!
Sources:
https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge-an-electric-car-5186285
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ten-reasons-electric-cars-still-suck-we-unplug-the-ev-hype/
