Electric cars

They're much better than you think.

We really need to accelerate the switch from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to electric if we are serious about reducing our impact on the planet, especially in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. EVs are the most sensible solution to replacing our archaic, gas-guzzling, inefficient, noisy ICE vehicle fleet.

I own a Tesla Model 3 Long Range (2020 model). The range is good, I get between 150-250 miles from a charge depending on the weather conditions and how frequently I drive/ how long each journey is. I rarely worry about the range - I mostly charge from home and for long trips, most western countries already have impressive charging infrastructure (there are around 15,000 rapid charge points in the UK, for example), and the number of charge points is growing exponentially. EV's are easier to drive, with no gears and many cars feature regenerative braking so you rarely have to use the brake pedal. They are generally also faster and quieter than internal combustion engine vehicles. Over the long term, an electric vehicle is MUCH better for the environment than petrol or diesel. 

How much better though? Let's get a few things out of the way. While EV's have zero tailpipe emissions, the total C02 emissions per kilometre might be 165g for a petrol car and 170g for a diesel car, on average. Not all electricity generation comes from carbon-zero sources, so for an electric car the emissions average ~50g per kilometre. But then again, for a petrol car, an additional 35-50 g/km C02 is emitted in getting the fuel from source to pump - not something which is talked about much(!)

At slow speeds, EV's are much quieter than ICE vehicles, but this effect is negated at high speeds when most of the noise comes from the tyres and air resistance.

EV's are also more energy efficient than petrol or diesel vehicles (85-90% efficient, vs 17-21% for internal combustion engine vehicles). Less energy is wasted to heat, noise and friction and more turned into vehicle motion.

So, running an EV is clearly more energy efficient with fewer emissions than an ICE vehicle. But there are some issues too...

Producing EV's uses a lot of energy. The emissions created during EV production tend to be higher than ICE vehicles. The manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries releases several greenhouse gas emissions. These include CO2, methane (CH4), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and Nitrogen oxides (NOX). However, as the industry scales and technology advances over the coming years, these emissions will decrease.

When a battery comes to the end of it's useable life (estimated at 10-20 years), it will need to be recyled. The EV battery recycling industry is in its infancy, but we can expect to see huge growth over the next few years. This will enable old batteries to be recycled in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner.

The mining of metals required in EV batteries, such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, uses toxic chemicals that can leach out into the environment, while refining nickel and cobalt releases sulphur dioxide (S02) into the atmosphere - which can cause acid rain, air pollution and respiratory problems if in high concentrations. The mining is often focussed in poor countries like the Democratic Rebublic of Congo, where working conditions are very poor, pay is very low and there are concerns about child labour and human rights. This is extremely sad and upsetting.

However, new initiatives are already in place to drive positive change in the battery industry. For example the Global Battery Alliance has been initiated to develop a safe and responsible global battery chain that safeguards human rights and promotes health and environmental sustainability.

The problems associated with EV production can all be solved, while EVs themselves are part of the solution to reducing global carbon emissions - ICE vehicles are part of the problem and need to be eliminated.

Electric vehicles are expensive to purchase, and I'm not suggesting everyone suddenly switch over to one - that would be a poor use of current global personal transportation resources.

Instead, I suggest a four point action plan:

1. Do your homework. Research and read up about EVs so you have a better understanding of the ownership experience - which is very different to a normal petrol or diesel car (no petrol station visits, charging at home, less range than a ICE car, better reliability and lower maintenance costs).

2. If you already have an ICE car, keep it for as long as possible. Ideally until it gets too expensive to maintain - then either scrap it or sell on the used market. OR, if you already have a larger car but want to save money, buy an inexpensive and small, cheap-to-run petrol car. One with good fuel efficiency and seond hand. This will drive down your individual environmental impact of owning the vehicle through sharing the initial energy/emissions cost to extract the raw materials and build the car with the previous owner(s), while also saving you a ton of money!

3. Buy a used electric car outright, with cash. One with lower mileage is better, although I'd argue that lower mileage isn't as important with EVs as ICE vehicles, because there are fewer components that might break and battery degradation (dependent on distance drive/ age), has been shown to only decrease by a very small amount (1% on average every year according to this survey) with age and distance driven.

4. Look after it. Keep it clean, regularly serviced and drive sensibly, and hold onto it for as long as possible.

An automobile should really be classed as a luxury item (even though they are ubiquitous). They are also a highly inefficient way of getting around, especially over relatively small distances. Consider a short 6-mile round trip to the shops:

Calculations from ChatGPT.

The differences between transportation modes is staggering. Cycling is almost 20x more efficient than driving a petrol car, and for a short journey like this, might be only slightly slower for someone with a good level of fitness. Of course, if you have to drive, an electric vehicle is the most efficient choice, but cycling is still the outright winner - much more energy efficient and better for your mental and physical health! You'll save money on fuel and will feel amazing in the more muscular body you're building.

Cycling should almost always be used for short intra-town journeys, unless the weather is extremely poor or you need to haul lots of shopping or other heavy items back with you. And even for this, you could buy a bike trailer to put your heavy goods in.

So there you have it, make the switch over to EVs and you'll never look back to petrol - but cycling is the real solution!