Electric Cars and The Environment

My dream car when I go to college is a Tesla. I dream of driving it in the California sun. As eco-friendly is an important issue to me, I was wondering if electric cars are actually better for the environment. The pros of EVs (Battery electric vehicles) are that they don't emit CO₂ from the tailpipe when on the road— a monumental reduction of CO₂ emissions.

The government's effort to reach carbon zero by 2050 includes banning the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. EVs also tackle noise pollution. The reduction of engine noise can be a contribution to a better environment.

Then what are the cons of EV vehicles? Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) take more emissions to create, mostly due to the production of their lithium batteries. However, these emissions are offset by lower EV emissions in use on the road. Also, EVs aren't emission-free as even EVs emit particulates from the road, tire, and brake wear and tear.

Most EV car batteries are manufactured in China, South Korea, and Japan where the use of carbon in electricity production is generally high. One study estimates that they create 59%-60% more emissions in production. Reusing and recycling batteries and creating batteries for electricity storage are technologies that are being better explored.

Yet another problem caused by the EV vehicles on the environment is the disposal of electric car batteries. The Volkswagen Group has announced plans to begin a battery recycling project. EV batteries with some power left can be given a second life as mobile vehicle charging power packs and the ones at the end of their usable lives will be ground to a fine powder to extract their raw electrical ingredients such as lithium, nickel, and manganese, allowing them to be made into new EV batteries.

Overall, electric cars are eco-friendly, and better for the environment as EVs emit fewer greenhouse gases and air pollutants.