Electric vehicles (EVs) are making a strong entrance into the market, and while they’re still more expensive than traditional gas-powered cars, prices are gradually decreasing. Experts believe that in the near future, EVs will be just as affordable as cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs). However, like everything else, there are both advantages and disadvantages to choosing an EV over an ICE vehicle. For instance, it generally costs less to charge an EV than to fill up a gas tank, and maintenance expenses for EVs tend to be lower as well.
A significant benefit of EVs is their smaller environmental footprint compared to gas-powered cars. However, the eco-friendliness of EVs is a bit more complex than just the absence of gasoline consumption and direct carbon emissions. Issues such as the emissions from manufacturing EVs and the materials used in those large batteries must also be considered.
Fortunately, numerous environmental studies have investigated the overall impact of building and owning a car. Let’s delve into some of these findings.
To start building and selling cars, manufacturers need various materials. While EVs and ICE vehicles share many materials, there are also significant differences between them. It’s a fact that producing an electric vehicle generates more emissions than making a gas-powered car, primarily because of the battery production process. However, this will likely evolve as battery technologies improve and rely less on rare earth materials, which are currently labor-intensive to mine, refine, and transport.
Quantifying the exact emission differences between EVs and gas vehicles can be tricky because it varies depending on the country, brand, and the specific year. For example, the 2023 Polestar and Rivian Pathway Report from Kearny indicates that the production of an average EV results in 14 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, compared to 10 tons for a gas-powered vehicle. This represents about 40% more emissions for EVs during production. Some other studies, like those from Argonne National Laboratory, suggest an even larger gap, estimating 80% more greenhouse gases for EV production compared to gas cars.
This means that when EVs come off the production line, they start with a higher “carbon debt” than gas-powered cars. The good news is that they don’t take long to repay this carbon debt, after which they become significantly more environmentally friendly.
The time it takes for an EV to catch up in terms of emissions depends largely on the source of electricity used for charging. For instance, charging an EV with solar panels is much greener than using power from a coal plant. Even under the worst conditions, most studies show that EVs offset their initial emission disadvantage within two years, considering the full life cycle of gasoline production and consumption.
A report from Recurrent suggests that EVs achieve carbon parity with ICE vehicles in 1.9 years if charged using one of the dirtiest energy grids in the U.S. (NYLI eGrid). If charged using one of the cleanest grids (CAMX eGrid), it takes just 1.4 years. These timelines emphasize that even with the most carbon-intensive power, EVs become more environmentally friendly within a few years.
Moreover, many EV owners charge their cars using entirely clean energy sources like solar panels, which significantly reduces the time needed to offset their higher initial emissions.
It’s also crucial to address some issues related to EV production compared to non-electric vehicles. One of the most obvious is the reliance on rare earth materials, which are harder to mine in large quantities than other minerals. This mining process has several issues beyond greenhouse gas emissions, including negative health effects from elements like neodymium dust and human rights concerns associated with certain mining operations.
Efforts are being made to address these problems. Research is ongoing to develop batteries that don’t rely heavily on rare earth metals, and while these new technologies may be more expensive, increasing awareness is driving change.
Moreover, the broader implications of what happens to batteries at the end of an EV’s life cycle are often overlooked. Battery recycling programs are being rolled out to reduce the emissions associated with EV production and allow reuse of some rare earth materials.
When you look at the numbers, it becomes clear that although the manufacturing of electric cars generates more emissions than that of ICE vehicles, the overall lifecycle emissions of EVs are significantly lower. For example, over 15 years of use, Recurrent estimates that an average EV emits around 30 grams of CO2 per mile driven, compared to nearly 80 grams per mile for an ICE vehicle with a fuel efficiency of 27 miles per gallon. And this doesn’t even consider the fact that electricity grids are expected to get much cleaner in the next 15 years.
So, the notion that electric vehicles are as harmful to the environment as gas-powered vehicles, solely due to manufacturing emissions, is entirely unfounded.