Are Electric Vehicles Really Green? Here in this article, we will discuss Are Electric Vehicles Really Green? We will try to understand if electric vehicles are better than gasoline vehicles or not and if they are, then on what parameters.
In India, more and more number of peoples are adopting electric vehicles. With the rising problems of environmental pollution and increasing oil prices, electric vehicles came up as the best solution. They are now considered the cleanest and purest vehicles as they do not require any fossil fuels. These vehicles do not require any engine oils and have no tailpipe emissions.
With so much being talked about electric vehicles, it becomes very important for us to check whether they are environmental friendly as much as stated or not. We must check that Are Electric Vehicles Really Green?
The Important Aspect to Be Noted
According to various experts from different industries, the manufacturing process of electric vehicles and the source of charging them has to be considered and taken care of whenever we talk about them.
These are the two aspects of electric vehicles where experts believe that they are hampering the environment or causing a negative impact on the same.
Batteries of Electric Vehicles
We know that electric vehicles have very few components and moving parts. The battery is one of them. There are different types of batteries that are being used in electric vehicles nowadays.
Nickel Metal Hydride Batteries
These batteries are commonly used in computers and other electronic equipment as they provide good energy and have good power capacity. They are mostly used in hybrid electric vehicles as they have low range and efficiency and are also heavier. Due to all these reasons, they are not used in commercial electric vehicles.
Lithium Batteries
This is the most commonly used batteries by various manufacturers. They find their usage from electric vehicles to mobile phones as well as UPS for a computer. The range of lithium batteries can go up to 300 km. They have very high energy density which makes them the most common battery being used for EV manufacturing. These batteries are very stable at room temperature and research is being done to extend their range up to 1000 km single charge.
Lithium batteries are one of the most important reasons why electric vehicles became the best alternative for internal combustion engine vehicles as well as fossil fuel vehicles. Lithium batteries are cheaper in terms of buying as well as manufacturing. They weigh less than other batteries such as nickel and lead acid batteries.
Lithium Polymer Batteries
This is another form of battery being widely used by electric vehicle manufacturers. These batteries have higher energy density as compared to lithium-ion batteries. They can hold more energy and provide more range and power at the same volume. These batteries are thinner and have longer standby times. These batteries are being widely used by manufacturers such as KIA Motors and MG Motors and have a range of up to 400 km on a single charge.
Solid State Batteries
Scientists and manufacturers have come up with the latest batteries known as solid-state batteries which are expected to replace all the above batteries. These batteries are expected to reduce emissions by 40% and will have a range of up to 1000 km on a single charge. The scientists have removed the Cobalt from this battery which has given multi-dimensional benefits to the manufacturers as well as the consumers.
Are Batteries Really Green?
This is one important aspect regarding electric vehicles that have been in everyone’s mind. We cannot deny the fact that the batteries of electric vehicles have helped cut down all the emissions and carbon pollutants getting into the environment. But at the same time, another important aspect also becomes very important which is the manufacturing of these factories.
The process and the components that are used in the manufacturing of these batteries have a bad effect on the environment in some or other ways. Due to this the eco-friendly tag for electric vehicles has always been in controversy and is a subject of discussion.
Charging Infrastructure and Its Impact
Electric vehicles cannot function without charging. It is the most essential condition for an electric vehicle to operate. All the charging facilities and infrastructure are connected to the energy or Power facility within the city. A lot of work is being done in order to make the charging process fully green and use renewable sources of energy in order to power the charging stations but it needs some time.
In many places, natural gas is being used to produce electricity which then powers the charging stations. We know that natural gas produces half CO2 emissions then that of the coal but the volume that is being consumed to produce the same amount of energy is twice that of coal.
The Present Condition of India
In India, more than 76% of the power supply is done by coal. With the increase number of electric vehicles, the demand for coal will increase in the coming times. Our government, scientists, manufacturers, and researchers are putting a lot of emphasis in order to develop various renewable sources of energy to power electric vehicles.
We are the third largest producer of renewable energy in the world. More than 35% of our capacity has been installed in 2020 and a lot of work is going on since then. We are planning to reach a target of 500 gigawatt-hour of energy which will be produced through renewable sources. If we succeed in achieving this target, then our dependency on fossil fuels to power electric vehicles can be reduced to a large extent.
Electric Vehicle Manufacturing
This is another segment where experts think that a lot of emissions and consumption takes place. The maximum destruction to the environment that can be caused by an electric vehicle is during its manufacturing process. According to some experts, the carbon emission during the manufacturing of an electric vehicle is much more than that of an internal combustion engine vehicle.
The other aspect of this part is the usage of rare Earth minerals and metals during the manufacturing process. The extraction of these metals and minerals require a lot of process which harms the environment in different ways.
In order to produce 1 tonne of rare Earth elements, 75 tonnes of acid is wasted and one tonne of radioactive residue is sent into the environment.
Recycling of Batteries
Recycling of batteries has become the need of the hour. Battery production requires lots of rare Earth metals and minerals. This is combined with various chemicals and harmful acids that cause a lot of destruction to the environment.
The present condition of battery recycling in India is still underdeveloped and only 5% of lithium-ion batteries are being recycled. The rest are being burnt or dumped in land fields. Lithium-ion batteries are not biodegradable and emit a lot of fluoride emissions into the soil.
Conclusion
So, we have discussed a lot about Are Electric Vehicles Really Green? We know that electric vehicles come with various positive aspects. But there are a few areas discussed above where electric vehicles create a lot of pollution and emissions. Our government is doing a lot along with manufacturers and researchers to reduce these emissions.
We are coming up with various new technology that will reduce emissions during manufacturing and all the above-discussed processes. This way we are hopeful that we will create the best ecosystem in the coming times.
